Fighting Fire With Fire
by Kiteekat
Summary: Raye and Sailor Mars are different people. One is collected and confident. The other is depressed and insecure. When she finds someone who makes her feel worthwhile, he dies. But when you live in a world full of magic and curses, people never stay dead...
1. Foreshadowing

"Mars Flame Sniper!" The yoma writhed in pain, clawing at the flaming arrow embedded in its shoulder. Sailor Mars looked to Sailor Moon, and watched as she finished the monster off.

"Good job everybody!" That was Mercury, always the team player.

"That was a really good shot Mars." Mars absently looked over at Venus.

"Thanks..." The yoma was gone, but she still sensed evil, and it was bothering her.

"What's wrong?" Mars smiled at Jupiter.

"Nothing, I was just... thinking." Jupiter got that smile that meant she was up to something, and that was never good.

"About a boy?" Mars mock-shoved Jupiter away, pretending to be angry.

"No! Why would I be thinking about a boy?!" Venus looked at Mars and tapped her foot.

"You have a guy and you didn't tell me?!" Mars rolled her eyes.

"Come ON Venus, Jupiter and I were just kidding around." Venus waved her hand dismissively.

"I knew that."

Raye got home soon after dark. Her combat boots clomped up the stairs as she climbed. She was tempted to take the stairs three at a time the way she usually did, but she and the girls had gone shopping that day and she'd been 'dressed up,' as Mina called it. Raye considered it closer to dressing down! She'd never shown so much skin in her life! She was wearing black mini-skirt that wouldn't make a decent hand-towel and a light blue tank top that showed almost every inch of cleavage she had. It even revealed the lacy black edge of her bra over the top! True, it had been kind of funny to see all the high school boys gape as she strutted through the mall. And it was even better when... Raye laughed involuntarily at the thought. Lita had been keeping her eye on an attractive boy, and HE had been checking out Raye for over an hour. Lita had purposely knocked Raye's shopping bags out of her hands so that Raye had to bend down. Naturally, her skirt had ridden up, revealing the black thong she'd been wearing underneath. The guy's eyes had gotten as large and round as saucers. Everyone had laughed as Raye turned red and straightened. That is, everyone laughed except the boy... his mouth had still been hanging open.

She trudged into her room and flopped on her bed, hiding her henshin wand under her pillow.

"What a day..." She rolled over and picked up her new book. She read for a few hours, then looked at the clock.

"Where is everybody? Grandpa would have bothered me by now..." She got up and looked through the house, but she was alone.

On the way back to her room, Raye saw a note on the fridge: "Grocery shopping. Be back later." Raye rubbed her forehead.

"Well that's great." She went back to her room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I guess we'll be eating late tonight." Raye lay back on the bed and closed her eyes. She was exhausted, and it wouldn't hurt to nap until Grandpa got back...

Raye was balancing on the thin line between asleep and awake when she heard footsteps.

_Must be grandpa..._ She ignored the sound, even when it stopped in front of her door. The door squeaked in protest as it was pushed open, but Raye didn't stir.

_Leave me alone..._ She heard the footsteps walk over to her bed and then felt someone sit down on the edge. Raye waited for her grandpa to scream at her or something, but all was quiet. The only sound she heard was soft breathing.

Rubeus was surprised at how easy this assignment was turning out to be. Sailor Mars had been relatively easy to track down, and her house was totally deserted. Better yet, he found the girl asleep, and totally unaware of his presence. He sat down on the bed, gently stroking Raye's cheek. He had always thought that Sailor Mars was gorgeous, even when she got under his skin. That glossy black hair, beautiful white skin, the fiery temper, and those flashing purple eyes. And now, all he had to do was bring her back, just as Diamond had ordered. Easy as pie. Still, she was just so incredibly beautiful. Rubeus's reaction to this was only natural. He couldn't help kissing her.The moment Raye felt lips against hers, a conscious thought flitted through her mind.

_Not grandpa!_ She started wading though the bog, trying to wake up.

_Come on Raye! Open your eyes! Now!_ Slowly, oh so slowly, Raye's heavy lids began to lose their weight. They fluttered open... and Raye gasped.

Rubeus was surprised when Raye's eyes opened, but he reacted quickly and grabbed her hair, jerking her head back so she couldn't hit him. His other arm wrapped around her waist and pulled tight, pinning her arms to her sides, while the hand that had caught her hair covered her mouth. Rubeus looked around cautiously, straining to keep Raye from breaking loose.

_Good, no one heard anything..._ He pulled Raye off the bed and started dragging her through the house. She was thrashing and twisting like a wild animal, straining her muscles to their max. Slowly but surely, Rubeus finally succeeded in getting Raye outside. He shoved her to the ground and pinned her down with one arm while the other tied a gag around her head. Rubeus then took a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket and slapped them on her wrists. Raye's eyes were dark violet pools of pure hatred, glaring at him the way a cornered cat stares down a dog. Rubeus hoisted her off the ground and slung her over his shoulder, grunting as she pounded on his back. Rubeus walked into his ship and threw Raye on the floor angrily, then kicked her in the stomach.

"Quit squirming!"

Raye gasped for air. Rubeus had hit her right in the gut, and she'd gotten the wind knocked out of her. She groaned and rolled onto her back so she could see him. Rubeus was smirking like a cat that had a mouse dangling by its tail.

"That's better. How do you feel?" Rubeus smirked and knelt down, brushing Raye's bangs out of her eyes as she thrashed. Rubeus chuckled.

"That bad, hmm? Well, that's a pity..." He slowly untied the gag and, since the hormones were now flowing, buried his hands in her long, raven hair, then gently pressed his lips against hers. Raye's eyes went wide with shock, and then her fear caught up with her rage. She resumed her thrashing, trying to pull away. Rubeus only clutched her hair tighter and pressed his mouth against hers with more ferocity. As his lust started to get the better of him, Rubeus forced his tongue between Raye's lips and locked his tongue with hers. Raye gasped again and jerked her head to the side, finally breaking the kiss. But that didn't stop Rubeus. He started planting kisses down her neck, then nibbled down her collarbone. Raye moaned and then inhaled sharply as Rubeus tried to climb on top of her.

"Get away!!!" Rubeus smirked and leaned close, to whisper in her ear.

"Afraid, Sailor Mars?"

Raye glared at Rubeus and hissed, "You wish I was afraid..." Rubeus threw his head back and laughed.

"Always the little viper, eh Mars? Or should I call you Raye Hino?" Raye wished that she actually was a viper, then she could bite Rubeus and wipe that stupid smile off his face.

"I've got a question for YOU flame-head! How did you get out of that spaceship alive?!" Rubeus stroked his chin.

_She's calling me flame-head? Heh, like she can talk._

"You really want to know?" Raye snorted.

"Call it curiosity." Rubeus smirked.

"Curiosity killed the cat."

Rei snapped, "Do I have fur?!" Rubeus's eyes skimmed down Raye's figure to her wrinkled skirt. "I don't know… I could look…" Raye's leg snapped out and hit Rubeus' shin, making him wince.

"I'll take that as a no."

"You'd better! Now answer my question!!!" Rubeus chuckled and sat down by Raye's side, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Actually, I have you to thank for it." Raye's eyes narrowed and she jerked out of Rubeus's grip.

"Are you sure you weren't in there when that ship exploded, because I think you've hit your head pretty hard. There's obviously something wrong with your brain." Rubeus shook his head.

"As you and your friends were teleporting out, you thought of me." He smirked and stroked Raye's hair.

"You wondered what would happen to me... and for some reason I survived the explosion." He straightened and pinned Raye against the wall.

"You hoped that I would live, out of human sympathy you made a wish... You wished that I could get a second chance." He grabbed Raye's chin and made her look at him.

"Am I right?" Raye turned her head away and forced the words between her teeth.

"I was soft. But it won't happen again! This time, I'll kill you with my bare hands and I won't feel a single shred of regret."

"Will you now..." Rubeus grabbed Raye's chin again and stared into her eyes.

"Tell me the truth little firefly... do you really think you have the guts?" Raye tried to jerk her chin away, but Rubeus' grip was tight and their gazes locked.

"I..." Rubeus let go and stood up, smirking.

"I knew it, you're helpless."

Raye's anger flared up and she shouted, "I am not!!! I, unlike you, value human life and have no desire to take it!!!" Rubeus glared at her.

"That's not true. You don't know anything." Raye snorted.

"Oh yes I do. I know that you and that terrible Prince Diamond slaughtered everyone in Crystal Tokyo, just to get to the Silver Imperium Crystal. And I also know that you enjoyed every minute of it." Rubeus clenched his fists.

"First of all, I was following orders. Second of all, none of that's true. You claim to hate ignorant people, but you know nothing, just like everyone else." Apparently, that remark hit a nerve.

"Stop lying, you bastard! You deserve to die!!!" Raye sprang up and swung her cuffed wrists at Rubeus's head. He quickly ducked and pushed her backwards. Raye staggered and lost her balance, slamming into the wall. Rubeus was there in an instant, kissing her hard and wrapping his hands around her. His knuckles worked into that spot right at the base of her spine, making her shiver. Chad had always done that, but he wasn't nearly as good as Rubeus.

Rubeus felt Raye shudder against him.

_Oh... you like that, don't you..._ He kissed her harder and let his hands glide over her curves. She was incredibly sensitive; the slightest touch would trigger a lively reaction. Rubeus felt Raye's feeble resistance start to crumble. She barely moved, letting his fingers roam where they would.

Raye felt like she was melting, the way he touched her. He seemed to know every sensitive spot on her body, brushing over them ever so lightly. Raye wanted so badly to fight back; he had, after all, insulted her honor and her morals. But the feeling was just so overwhelming... like trying to swim through Jell-O. Finally, Raye gave up. Her limbs were shaking so badly, she couldn't stand up as Rubeus let go. He watched Raye slump against the wall and smirked.

"Admit it firefly, you are helpless. You can't even fight back, even though I've insulted you. I know you hate me for it." He leaned against the wall and watched as Raye tried to catch her breath.

"So, when are you going to go through with that death threat, hmm?" Raye blinked dizzily as her chest heaved up and down. Rubeus had to struggle to keep from pouncing on her again. One of the straps of Raye's top had slipped off her shoulder, and her shirt was sliding down with it, revealing quite a bit of her breast. Her heavy breathing wasn't helping either, and she looked so stunning with her tousled hair and scanty clothing, it was all Rubeus could do to turn away and walk to the ship's controls.

_This is a mission,_ he reminded himself.

_A business trip._ They were going back to the future. The Wiseman would be pleased to finally have one of the senshi at his disposal. There was an annoying whirring sound as a few millennia flew by in an instant, and then, in a loud thunder-clap, everything stopped.  
  
Rubeus stepped out of the ship with Raye over his shoulder, pounding on his back harder than ever. Prince Diamond, Sapphire, Emerald, and the Wiseman all looked on as he dropped Raye on the ground.

"The senshi of fire, your highness." Raye clambered to her feet and glared around her.

"What is this?! Why am I here?!"

She looked at the Wiseman and hissed, "I thought you were all dead." The Wiseman laughed eerily.

"When you resurrect one of the Dark Moon Family, the rest follow. We are bound to each other in life and death." Raye's eyes flashed and she straightened to her full height. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders and her eyes flashed angrily as she stared Prince Diamond square in the eye.

"I hope that binding works twice... for your sake." Prince Diamond snorted and waved his hand dismissively.

"She's yours Wiseman. Interrogate her, torture her, anything. You know what you have to do." Rubeus's eyes narrowed and he stepped in front of Raye.

"I thought you weren't going to hurt her!" Prince Diamond glanced over his shoulder indifferently.

"She's obviously not going to cooperate. I think force is going to be a necessity." Rubeus grabbed Diamond by the shoulder.

"But you can't do that!!!"

Diamond brushed Rubeus's hand away and snapped, "I can do anything I want. Now go do something productive! Maybe you could cook dinner..." Emerald laughed, that annoying, nasal, high- pitched shriek, and swept behind Diamond, followed by Sapphire. Rubeus turned around and clenched his fist. He walked back over to Raye and glared at Wiseman.

"I think I can take care of her." The Wiseman didn't move.

"I doubt that. Besides, I have this wildfire is under control." As he spoke, a hole opened up in the ground underneath Raye and she disappeared, screaming.

"WISEMAN!" Rubeus stalked up to the floating figure and pointed a finger in his face.

"You hurt a hair on her head and I swear I'll-" Wiseman interrupted him.

"Fool. You know that it's treason to have feelings for her. If I were you, I would forget all about all about the girl." Rubeus's eyes narrowed until they were barely even slits.

"Let's get one thing straight Wise-ass, the only thing about her that interests me is her power, but she needs to be alive if I'm gonna get it." The Wiseman laughed.

"Have it your way Rubeus!"

Raye fell in total darkness, she didn't know how far. There was a sudden thud as she hit the ground and a loud crack, then pain shot up her leg. She felt her injured leg give out and she put her hands out to stop her fall. Raye felt her elbow strike the floor and she gritted her teeth. She slowly sat up and blinked.

"I can't see a thing..." Wiseman's voice echoed from somewhere in front of Raye.

"Is the child afraid of the dark?"

Raye's temper flared and she shouted, "I'm not afraid of anything!!!" She started to stand up and then groaned as her leg gave out a second time. Wiseman's voice came again, from her right this time.

"Everyone's afraid of something..." Raye tried to follow the voice, but now it was bouncing all over.

"Why don't you just come out and fight me?!" Wiseman laughed maniacally.

"Fight you? In that condition, you can't even stand up!" Raye climbed up and leaned on her good leg.

"Oh really? Well, I'm standing now! I guess that shows how much you know!!!" There was a small spark in front of Raye, and then a sudden blast of fire, throwing her back several feet. "Insolent brat! You should know better than to defy me!!!" Raye groaned and touched her head where it hurt. There was a deep gash on her forehead, and the blood was beginning to drip down the side of her face. There was light now... very faint light, although anything Raye could see swirled in a sickening way. The dim glow was coming from the crystal ball that the Wiseman was always holding. The Wiseman waved his hand and shadows crept out of the cracks and corners of the room. They wound around Raye's wrists and neck and suddenly turned into cold, heavy, iron shackles. Wiseman chuckled as the last shadow formed into a chain that was attached to an iron band around Raye's neck.

"Ahh... finally on a leash where you belong." Raye was about to comment when Wiseman jerked the chain, making her gag.

"Animals don't talk..." Raye coughed and tried to loosen the collar, but it was strangely tight.

"Don't waste your time Sailor Mars. That collar will tighten whenever I want it to. And it will only loosen when I say the word." He was right. The harder Raye tried to pull it off, the tighter the iron got. It was starting to get hard to breathe.

"Of course, if you cooperated, I could probably take it off."

"I don't beleive you!!" The Wiseman jerked the chain again.

"You don't have a choice." Raye felt the band tighten to emphasize his point. She was starting to wheeze, her airway was so badly constricted.

"Now then, why don't you tell me about the Silver Crystal."

"Never!!!" Jerk. Tighten. Wheeze.

"I'm beginning to get impatient."

"I would rather die...." Another jerk.

"It will be hard to protect your princess if you're dead."

"She's strong... she can last without me..." The Wiseman jerked Raye forward and then picked her up by the chain, roaring in fury.

"Tell me now!!!" It was a struggle to breathe, but Raye still found the strength to shout.

"No!!!" The Wiseman shook his head.

"Too bad… Well, have it your way, Sailor Mars." The collar tightened again, closing off her airway completely. The Wiseman laughed as Raye began to choke.

_No air! No air! No air no air NO AIR!!!!!!_ Everything started turning darker, and the laughter sounded farther off, like the Wiseman was a mile away.

_Oh my god... he's really going to kill me..._

The Wiseman's laughter peaked as Raye passed out. Reluctantly, he dropped her on floor. He was enjoying himself immensely. The sight of proud Sailor Mars on her knees and shackled was most amusing. The girl was arrogant to a fault, but her loyalty seemed to be unwavering. And she was strong, even the Wiseman would admit that. Even though she'd nearly been strangled, her breathing was already stabilizing, falling into the steady rhythm of a sound sleeper. Her skills as a warrior were also superior. Many an enemy had fallen in battle at the hands of the soldier of fire. But, as so many promising young people tended to be, she was on the wrong side.

"Pity..." Wiseman was about to leave, when a thought struck him.

"If she's unconscious, her mind will probably be easier to infiltrate." As he considered this new development, yet another notion occurred to him.

"Besides, if she gets sleep, she'll start to recover..."

He waved his hand over his crystal ball and muttered, "That will not do..."  
  
Raye peeked around the corner, and sighed, relieved to find only her reflection. Her footsteps echoed loudly in the crystal maze, making Raye uncomfortable. For some strange reason, she was clutching only a towel around her naked body, which was one excellent reason not to make noise. Raye heard footsteps behind her, and whirled around suddenly. It was Chad. Shaggy haired, loud-mouthed, annoying Chad. Raye heaved a sigh of relief and ran to him. Chad was silent, but wrapped his arms around her.

"Chad, I was so scared..." Raye's words drifted into nothingness as she felt Chad's hands slide down her waist, toying with the corners of the towel.

"What are you doing?!" Raye looked up, into the smugly grinning face of Rubeus.

"You! Let go!" But Rubeus didn't let go. Instead, he untied the knot that had kept the towel from coming undone and pushed Raye to the floor.

"Hey!!!" Rubeus was on top of her instantly. He'd tossed his vest to the side, exposing his broad, strong chest, and he was starting to kiss his way down Raye's neck.

"No! Stop it!!!"

"Come on Raye... you know you want this..." Raye squeezed her eyes shut, trying to think rationally.

"But... but I can't... Even if you have changed, we're on opposite sides!" Raye would never admit it, but she wished that they were allies, rather than enemies. Despite that he had kidnapped her twice, handed her over to Diamond, and practically attacked her on multiple occasions, he made her feel better about herself. Even if it was just lust, the fact that Rubeus was so obviously interested in her eased her insecurities. After all, even the collected, confident soldier of fire had doubts. Especially when she was surrounded by her friends. They all had something special about them, whether it was intelligence, culinary skills, or artistic talent. She was nothing but a frigid priestess that stared at fires and socialized with crows. What was so special about that? Rubeus was the only person who didn't seem to be repulsed by her. Of course, it was no surprise that, no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't be with him.

"Rubeus! Stop this! Stop this now!" Raye 's eyes opened to see the blank void where the Wiseman's face was supposed to be. She screamed and tried to pull away, but his icy hands were holding her there. She wasn't even sure they were hands; she felt like she was freezing. Raye looked down at where he was gripping her, and frost was starting to spread across her skin.

"No!" The frost turned to ice, engulfing her arms and then spreading down her body. Soon, she was frozen solid except for her neck and head.

"Please, let me go!!!" The Wiseman laughed and the ice grew twice as fast. Raye felt it creep up the back of her neck, up her cheeks. The last thing that froze was her eyes, wide open in terror. Then, as Raye watched from inside her chilly coffin, the Wiseman held his hand out and a black, crackling ball of energy formed in his palm. Raye tried to scream, but there was no air. Wiseman pulled his arm back and hurled the sphere at Raye's frozen heart. The last thing she saw was shattered ice flying in every direction.  
  
Raye sat up suddenly, shivering and aching all over. Her neck and wrists where chafed, and her once glossy, black hair, was knotted and drenched with sweat. She felt a sticky sensation on one side of her face, gluing her hair to her skin. Blood, from her gash. Everything came back to her, like an adrenaline rush. Rubeus, the time machine, the Dark Moon Family, Wiseman… Raye slumped against the stone wall behind her, exhausted.

"Sailor Moon... I wish you were here..." Wiseman's laugh emerged from the shadows, and Raye instinctively leapt to her feet, despite the sharp pains that shot through her entire body.

"Enjoy your dream Sailor Mars? I used your darkest secrets to create it just for you!"

Raye glared in the voice's direction and hissed, "You were in my head?!" Wiseman snickered.

"Oh yes... very interesting. You have some very intriguing insecurities, not to mention feelings towards a certain sworn enemy." The dart hit home.

"How dare you!!! You... you sick bastard!!!" An icy cold hand slapped Raye across the face, with such force that she stumbled backwards.

"Don't you ever address me that way again! I can destroy you any time I want!!!" Raye slowly turned her face to meet him again, smirking. She knew the coppery taste in her mouth was her blood, but that only fueled her anger. Nobody hit her and got away with it.

"If you can destroy me any time you want, then why haven't you done it yet, hmm?" The crystal ball flashed, and emitted another burst of flame, almost twice as big as the last one. Raye felt herself hit the wall, there was a sickening crack as she struck the floor. The Wiseman floated over to pick her up by the hair. Her manacles slowly dissolved, but Raye's arms were still too heavy to move. The empty void that served as the Doom Phantom's face floated close to hers.

"An excellent question Sailor Mars... an excellent question indeed..." Darkness.  
  
Diamond stared at his wineglass, almost as if he was inspecting the amber liquid within.

"Any progress with the senshi?" The Wiseman shook his head.

"She is a very stubborn girl... and very complicated... It is difficult to penetrate her mind." Diamond threw the wine down angrily and stood up, crunching the shattered glass under his feet.

"She's just a girl! A brat! A child! You're telling me that you can't just hypnotize her or something?!" Wiseman didn't seem to care that Diamond was angry.

"It's not that simple, your highness. All the senshi are endowed with incredible power. In addition, she has psychic talents that are protecting her, and she's completely devoted to her leader. Her mind simply will not relinquish any information regarding Princess Serenity. Her loyalty is so strong that she would turn down a lover to save her leader." Diamond stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Who are you referring to? Rubeus?" The Wiseman nodded.

"She is unwilling to admit it, but she is attracted to him. She thinks that he has the potential to be a normal, decent person. Also, his interest in her makes her feel more self-assured and desirable." Diamond nodded thoughtfully.

"Do you think that she would try to save him if he were in some sort of danger?" The Wiseman chuckled.

"She would be torn between her princess and her love; I cannot quite say which she would choose." He paused.

"However... she is a human. There is a small chance that she would give in to her selfishness... and divulge the secret of the Silver Crystal in exchange for him. Also, you may have noticed that Rubeus's loyalties seem to be wavering." Diamond nodded again, more vigorously.

"I thought he was acting strangely."

Wiseman continued, "Then, perhaps, if both their lives were in danger, he might try to convince her to cooperate, even if only for her sake, and not his own." Prince Diamond smirked, obviously in a much better mood.

"Well then, what are you waiting for? Find Rubeus, now."  
  
Rubeus threw his hands up in frustration. Raye was in a terrible situation now, because of him, and he felt obligated to help her out. He knew that Raye needed something to summon her senshi powers, but he had no clue what it looked like or where she'd hidden it. He angrily tore the covers off her bed, trying to let off steam. As a result, a red charm stick flew out from under the pillow and smacked Rubeus on the forehead.

"Ow!" Rubeus rubbed his forehead and stared at the projectile. It was a red wand, with an orb attached to the top that bore the sign of Mars. Rubeus scratched his head as he picked it up.

"Can I really be this lucky?"

"Hold it right it right there Rubeus!!" Rubeus spun around as Venus's chain of golden hearts wrapped around his arms. Sailor Moon crossed her arms and tapped her feet, with an infuriated-looking Jupiter standing behind her and cracking her knuckles.

"Alright you scumbag, where's Sailor Mars?!" Rubeus hung his head.

"Wiseman's got her." Sailor Moon exchanged a glance with Jupiter.

"I thought he was gone." Mercury shook her head.

"I doubt that. Rubeus is alive, so maybe Wiseman came with him." Venus folded her arms.

"Rubeus, you had better be telling the truth." Rubeus struggled against his bonds and his voice became louder as his temper rose.

"Of course I'm telling the truth!!! I want her out of there as much as any of you!!!" The love senshi's eyes widened and she looked at her leader.

"Sailor Moon... he's telling the truth." Sailor Moon blinked, stunned.

"How do you know?"

Venus tapped her tiara and responded, "I can feel it." Jupiter looked at Rubeus, with a little less anger showing on her face.

"Why do you want to help her? You're the one who kidnapped her in the first place." Rubeus sighed heavily.

"I know," he said after a moment.

"The Prince promised that she wouldn't be harmed... but he lied... This is all my fault..." Venus adjusted her grip on her Love-me-chain, then gasped as the golden hearts dissolved in her hands. Almost instantly, Rubeus noticed. He charged past Sailor Jupiter, dodging as she grabbed for him, and sprinted to his ship.

"I'll bring her back scouts, I promise!" Jupiter was about to run after him when Venus put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hold it Lita.... he means it." Jupiter glared over her shoulder.

"You trust him?!" Venus sighed and smiled blissfully, her eyes sparkling.

"I know we can depend on him... He's in love with Raye..." Sailor Moon's jaw dropped to the floor.

"WHAAAT?!" Venus nodded.

"I can feel it. And, I think Raye feels the same way about him, although I don't know why. Think about it. If she'd wanted to, she could have toasted his butt a long time ago."

Jupiter nodded in agreement, then Mercury cut in, "Did any of you see his forehead?"  
  
Sapphire walked up to Rubeus. He looked at Rubeus's forehead for a moment, then jerked his head down stiffly, staring at his shoes.

"Diamond wants you... now." Rubeus walked down the hall, hiding Raye's henshin wand in his boot before he entered the throne room. He approached Diamond's throne and made a sweeping bow.

"You requested me, your highness?" Diamond nodded calmly.

"Wiseman mentioned something very interesting about Sailor Mars." Rubeus felt the bottom drop out of his stomach, but he tried to hide it.

"Really? Like what?" Diamond smirked slightly.

"Wiseman told me that the girl has feelings toward you... and that you've returned the affection on several occasions." Rubeus stood up straight.

"That's not true! She's the enemy!!!" Diamond's smirk widened and he snapped his fingers.

"I'm glad you feel that way. You see, she hasn't been cooperating, and she's half dead as it is. Wiseman was just about to finish her off." As if on cue, Wiseman appeared, holding Raye in his arms. Her hair was a tangled mass that hung limply from her head, her body and limbs were slack. Rubeus looked closer and then felt his temper flare. There was a deep gash in her forehead that even now was still oozing blood. Wiseman dropped her gracelessly on the floor, chuckling softly.

"Would you care to do the honors Rubeus?" Rubeus glared at Diamond coldly.

"I'd be happy to." He jerked a dagger out from inside his vest and walked up to Raye. "Ooohh..."

Raye's eyelids fluttered and she murmured, "I need an aspirin..." Rubeus hesitated. She was waking up. Raye's vision slowly cleared, and her violet eyes rested on the dagger.

"You too huh?" Her cracked lips twisted into a cruel smile, but inside, she was hurt. Was he going to kill her after all?

"You're as spineless as the rest of them." Diamond jumped down from his throne, snarling.

"What was that supposed to mean?!" Raye looked over to Diamond as her smug grin widened.

"It means that, for all your tough talk, you're just a coward. You have other people do your dirty work, and you take cheap shots from a safe distance. Your attack on Crystal Tokyo was a good example. You're just an oversized baby." The room was filled with a resounding smack as Diamond's hand connected with Raye's cheek. Diamond's snarl melted into a satisfied smirk, then his jaw dropped as Raye started to laugh.

"Is that the best you can do Diamond?!" She snickered.

"The Four Sisters of Deception can punch harder than you!" The prince's eyes narrowed with fury.

"You insolent little brat!" There was a metallic grating sound as Diamond pulled a sword out of its sheath, resting the point against Raye's neck. Prince Diamond's hands shook slightly as he took a deep breath.

"You're no good to us. But, just so you know, Sailor Mars... Without you, Crystal Tokyo is missing one of its key defenses; the sacred barrier formed by the senshi. Your queen is as good as mine, with or without your help!"

He pulled his sword back for the killing blow and whispered, "I hope you burn in your own fire, little whore."  
  
Rubeus didn't know what he was doing. In one swift movement, an open gash had appeared in Diamond's back, and the dagger in his hand was stained with blood. The Wiseman flew forward to stop him, but Rubeus fired a sphere of black energy at the crystal ball, shattering it. The figure shrieked and dissolved into nothingness as Prince Diamond collapsed to the ground. Rushing to Raye's side, Rubeus threw the dagger to the floor and dropped to his knees to take her in his arms.

"I'm sorry! I didn't want to hurt you, but I didn't know what to do! They were already suspicious, and if I didn't follow orders, they'd have killed us both." Raye found the strength to break his hold on her and wrapped her arms around her waist, staring off to the side and refusing to meet his eyes.

"So, to save your own skin, you were going to kill me? Here I was, hoping you might think of me as a person!" Rubeus looked hurt.

"I do. Honestly. I just… well… I panicked. I was backed into a corner." Raye's face clouded in anger and she turned to give him a venomous glare.

"Oh, well that just makes everything perfectly fine! I understand! Don't worry about it! I'm used to being treated as an object!" Rubeus settled into a squatting position, staring at his hands as they dangled over his knees.

"That's not what I meant. It's just… I'm human too, Raye…" Raye felt a slight twinge of anger as he used her name, but she let him continue.

"I guess I'm not as honorable or courageous as you are, but… doesn't the fact that I'm concerned for you count for anything?" Raye refused to let her emotions show.

"I don't know. Are you talking about genuine concern, or more lies?" Rubeus let his anger overtake him and he grabbed Raye's chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Look at me! Look at what I've done! Do you think I would do or say any of these things just to keep up a charade?! If I had been lying, I would have let them kill you a long time ago!" Raye squeezed her eyes shut.

"I don't know! I don't understand you! I'm not sure if I can trust you!"

Opening her eyes and seeing the stung look on his face, Raye looked away from Rubeus again and murmured, "Then again, you have given me some pretty good reasons to trust you… I guess I'm obligated to give you another chance." Rubeus cocked an eyebrow.

"Obligated?" Raye smiled slightly and looked back to him.

"You know how I am. Honor is important to me. And… well, you're starting to become important to me too…" Raye's face flushed and she held her breath.

_Please, Rubeus, don't reject me…_ Rubeus smiled back at her.

"You're important to me, too." Raye exhaled in relief as her smile widened a bit.

"That's good to know." They exchanged stares for a few more seconds, before Rubeus lunged forward and hugged her tightly.

"Ow!" Rubeus quickly pulled away, and for the first time noticed the bruises spread across Raye's skin, especially the ones around her neck.

"That bastard! What did he do to you?" Raye rolled her eyes.

"Just your routine torture. You know, chains, being thrown against walls, fireballs, suffocation, freaky dreams, stuff like that. No big deal, really." Rubeus shook his head. Despite numerous wounds and a traumatic experience, she was still as sarcastic as ever.

"Can you walk?"

Raye glanced at her battered legs momentarily, before replying cheerfully, "Nope. Looks like you'll have to carry me." Rubeus easily scooped her up, being careful not to hurt her injured leg.

"That doesn't sound too bad."

Rubeus gently set Raye down on the control panel of his ship.

"Can you hold on without help? This thing is usually pretty bumpy." Raye smiled. He was so cute all of a sudden, with his eyes full of concern and his mouth... his mouth... Raye leaned forward and kissed Rubeus on the lips, not with the demanding need of passion, but the slow, gentle affection of a lover. Rubeus leaned into her kiss and punched the necessary buttons from the corner of his eye. They ignored the whirring and the thunderclap, still embracing each other, until a voice rose from the front of the ship.

"Are we interrupting something, Raye?" Raye immediately pulled away from Rubeus and looked over his shoulder, turning crimson. The rest of the senshi were giggling in the doorway. Venus was the first to step forward.

"I know you probably wanted to keep on… ah, getting to know each other, but..." She giggled and then managed to compose herself.

"We want to say thank you, Rubeus, for bringing her back safely." Mercury elbowed Jupiter and Moon in the sides. They squealed in unison, and Mercury coughed. Reluctantly, Jupiter walked up.

"What Venus said..." She looked over her shoulder and sighed as Mercury glared at her.

"And... I'm sorry for trying to splatter your brains." Mercury nodded happily and pushed Sailor Moon forward.

"Look, Rubeus, we've had some tension in the past, and some recently as well." She paused and sighed.

"But, I've overlooked that, and we are deeply indebted to you." Another pause.

"But I'm warning you Rubeus, if you pull a fast one on Raye, you'll have five very angry senshi on your tail!" Sailor Moon smiled and held out her hand. Rubeus chuckled and shook it.

"I guess this means I'm part of the White Moon now, huh?" Raye smiled and hugged him. "Actually, you have been for a while now, if you didn't notice..." Venus produced a mirror and held it up for Rubeus. He took it and squinted, as if he thought he was hallucinating, then cried out in astonishment.

"What in the-" Rubeus touched his forehead in confusion. The upside-down black moon had reversed and turned gold.

"But... when... how..." Mercury smiled.

"I first noticed when we caught you looking for Raye's wand." Rubeus smacked his forehead.

"I almost forgot." He reached down and pulled the wand out of his boot, placing it in Raye's hand.

"Next time, keep this in your pocket." Raye smirked.

"Yeah, I'll try to remember that." The girls laughed, then everyone was thrown to the side as the ship shook. Rubeus climbed to his feet, fuming.

"Wiseman! I knew that was too easy! He's followed us!!!"  
  
The other scouts ran to the door, followed closely by a limping Raye. She was about to reach the door when Rubeus grabbed her from behind.

"I can't let you go out there! You're hurt!" Raye thrashed and clutched her henshin wand to her chest.

"I have to! It's my duty! Please, you have to let me go!" Rubeus tightened his hold.

"No! You're weak from all this, and going into a battle with Wiseman is suicide!" Raye twisted in his arms so she could face him as a single tear slid down her cheek.

"Rubeus.... I know. I'm afraid too. But... the life of my Princess must come before my own. Please understand." She shuddered, almost painfully, as she heard an explosion and Venus let out an agonized cry.

"Rubeus! Please!!!" Rubeus's face softened and he gently kissed her forehead.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you!" Raye nodded and stepped back, holding her wand up to the air.

"Mars Crystal Power! Make-up!!!" Rubeus blinked away his own tears as he saw her engulfed by flames, only to reappear in her senshi fuku. The magic of the wand had healed her wounds, her hair was loose and glossy again, and her muscles flexed with renewed strength. Her eyes flashed and she smiled self-assuredly.

"Let's get that jerk!"

The sky was filled with fire. Raye and her friends had their backs to Princess Serenity, who brandished the Silver Crystal like a torch in the impending darkness. It turned out that not only Wiseman had followed them, but Diamond had come along for the ride. Not of his own free will, of course. The Wiseman had performed some kind of merger with the wounded prince, and the result was a grotesque parody of Diamond's pretty face. His back was still bleeding, and now it arched like that of a deformed cat, all three eyes were opened and were a nauseating green. But the Doom Phantom wasn't using Diamond's powers to hypnotize them; rather, he'd twisted it into some sort of psychic attack. Just when Serenity had nearly fallen, the senshi had formed the wall, protecting her and Rubeus from the force of the attacks, but the rest of the scouts were left unprotected. Serenity's hands were shaking and burned from the white heat of the crystal, and Rubeus was contributing what he could to the barrier, but the Death Phantom didn't seem phased at all.

"Yes, that's right scouts! Weaken, tire, yes! You beat me once, with two of your blasted crystals, but this time... yesss... this time you only have one!!!" Raye held her own against the waves of black energy pounding into her mind.

"Go to hell you fucking bastard!!!"

"Shame on you Mars... such language..." Behind her, Serenity wavered.

"I can't hold on much longer, I need help!!!"

Mercury's face was paper white and she whispered weakly, "Me too..." From the other side of Raye, Jupiter grimaced.

"I'm so tired..."

Raye looked at her and screamed, "Lita! Listen to yourself! We can't give up!!!" On the other side of the Princess, Venus fell to one knee.

"It's too much Raye... I can't..."

"No! Stand up! Be strong!" But it was too much. Venus's eyes rolled into the back of her skull, and the golden aura around her dissolved into nothingness as she flopped to the ground.

"Oh no! Mina!" The strain on the three remaining senshi increased, forcing Jupiter and Mercury to their knees. The pounding got louder, more insistent, like someone was banging a drum the size of the solar system itself just inside Raye's ear. She watched through hazy vision as the next two senshi fell and the blackness forced its way to Princess Serenity. Raye could see the pain on her leader's face, and watched in horror as the light from the crystal slowly dimmed.

"No..." Raye picked up one leaden foot then another, moving slowly towards that last glimmer of light. She reached out- her arms felt like they weighed a ton each- and cupped her hands around Serenity's... and around the crystal. Like an electric shock, a hot jolt spread through Raye's body. The light grew brighter, blinding, and the heat sizzled inside her, boiled in her veins, and lanced through her mind. A ragged cry escaped her lips, and then, the heat was gone. It was replaced by a pulsing warmth... energy... strength... power.  
  
Rubeus's jaw dropped to the ground. Raye's fuku had caught on fire, burning away to reveal polished silver and dark red leather, like blood. Her hair had pulled itself back and lengthened, till it almost reached her knees, covering up the back of what was obviously a military uniform. Leather boots that reached her knees and laced up the front, a short, pleated dress covered by a breastplate and shoulder guards, and gloves that covered her elbows all the way down to her palms, revealing only her fingers. Shin and wrist guards, all ornate silver, and a shining white mark on her forehead: the sign of Mars. Raye's eyes opened and she drew a long, heavy sword from the scabbard at her side, pointing it at the Death Phantom.

"Creature of evil, you thought you could defeat the Olympians. You have mocked Mars, the god of war and bloodshed. You have threatened and even taken the lives of innocent people. You deserve to die." Her voice was clear and strong, carrying an authority that no one dared to contradict. The sword glittered in Raye's hand and she smirked ruthlessly.

"I shall teach you not to provoke the Gods." With a shrill, unearthly war-cry, Raye lunged forward, raising the sword over her head. The Death Phantom smirked and conjured a sword of his own, blocking Raye's attack. The two sprang back from each other, smirking. Raye took a step to the side as the Death Phantom did, her eyes never leaving his main two.

"Not bad, for a demon." The pair started circling faster, shifting their weapons from hand to hand.

"You're not so clumsy either, for a woman." Raye's expression darkened as she leapt forward, feigning an attack to the side. The Death Phantom reached to block it, then Raye's sword streaked inward, plunging sickeningly into mortal flesh. From the hilt of the sword, fire raced down the blade, charring Diamond's side. The light from the blade grew brighter, slowly forcing a shadow-like, black mass out of it.

"Nooo!!! You wretched child!!!" Raye twisted the blade in the thing's side, making the fire burn higher.

"I am no child! I am Mars! No one, mortal or demon, can best me!!!" The flame roared up in one final burst, throwing the black mass out of it. Raye jerked her sword out of Diamond's side, heedless of the blood that ran down the edge. She calmly walked up to the black figure, which raised off the ground and floated backwards.

"Your days end here demon, for the second and last time."  
  
Rubeus felt it coming.

"Raye! Watch out!!!" Too late. A stream of black energy exploded from the Death Phantom's outstretched hand, enveloping Raye. A moment later, he caught a flash of silver, as Raye's sword hacked through the blast, only to be swallowed up again. Rubeus looked at Raye helplessly, then at the swaying Princess Serenity. And he chose.  
  
Serenity felt herself pulled to her feet and looked up, startled. Rubeus looked down at her urgently.

"You have to use the crystal. I can protect you to an extent, and I'll help you keep your balance, but you have to try and kill him." The Princess bit her lip.

"But last time we had two crystals..." Rubeus pointed to the Death Phantom and Raye, still struggling through the energy blast.

"And this time we have her. Come on Princess, you have to do this, for us, for this planet, for your daughter." Serenity saw the desperation in his eyes and nodded.

"I'll do all that I can." Rubeus put a hand on her shoulder and summoned up his last energy.

"Thank you." Then, they both closed their eyes.  
  
The Death Phantom felt his back burning, the way that Mar's sword had felt. His head turned, the blast wavered, and Raye's sword cut a deep gash in his demon form. That wretched Princess was using her little crystal, and this insane version of Sailor Mars was hacking at him with a bewitched sword. For the second time in millennia, the Death Phantom knew that he would lose this fight. Another gash opened in the Death Phantom's back, and it burned with the magic fire that was the war god's fury. As the shadows and evil that made up the Death Phantom's flesh slowly began to dissolve from the combined attacks, its gnarled hand stretched towards Serenity. With one last howl, the Death Phantom swiped its claws at the Princess, in a long arc that could easily tear her heart out. Serenity stepped back and closed her eyes as an agonized scream filled the air. Then, silence reclaimed the night. Blood splattered the ground, flowing freely from the gaping wound in Rubeus's chest the way water flows from a faucet. Raye's eyes flickered and a single tear trailed down her cheek, but then the cold, ruthless glare was back and her sword's tip pushed through the Death Phantom's chest. The black creature faded away like a bank of fog under a morning sun, defeated once again.

Raye fell to her knees, panting and shaking. She crawled over to Rubeus, who was lying on the ground, clutching his chest. Raye's lower lip trembled as she gently propped his head up in her lap.

"Rubeus... you saved Princess Serenity." Rubeus half-smiled and coughed weakly.

"Well, I was part of the white moon, wasn't I? I figured it was time to start acting like it." Raye's eyes welled up and she shook him gently.

"Don't say was! You ARE part of the white moon! You ARE! You can't go like this!!" Rubeus coughed again and stroked Raye's cheek with a blood- smeared hand.

"You know just as well as I do firefly, everybody dies sometime, somehow... This is my turn."

Raye shook her head and shouted, "No! I won't let you! You can't Rubeus, you can't!!!" Rubeus shook his head.

"Raye, you have a long, hard life ahead of you. Mine was long and hard, and now it ends. You get to keep on living after this."

Raye squeezed his hand tightly and whispered, "But you're the only one who makes me feel like life is worth living. If your life is over, mine will be too..." Rubeus shook his head and pulled her down, kissing her for the last time.

"No, Raye, yours is just beginning..." Raye stared into his dark brown eyes, watching as they slowly closed. Raye's vision blurred as a lump formed in her throat.

"No..." Rubeus's hand fell to the ground, cold and lifeless. Raye balled her hands into fists and pounded his chest.

"Wake up, damn you! Wake up!!!" Serenity, frozen in shock and grief, slowly extended her hand and rested it on Raye's shoulder.

"He's gone Raye... he won't wake up." She wouldn't listen. Raye slapped Rubeus across the face, again and again, sobbing and screaming. Serenity and the others grabbed Raye by the shoulders and dragged her away from Rubeus's body.

"No!!! Don't touch me!!! Rubeus!!! Come back!!!" Raye threw the others off of her and beat the ground until her fists were covered in her own blood as well as his.

"Please... come back..." Raye hung her head and wept until her eyes were devoid of tears.

"I love you..." Serenity placed a hand on Raye's shoulder again, and so did the rest of her friends. Above them, the stars glittered and twinkled coldly, almost as if they were laughing.


	2. Prophecy

Raye had no idea how she'd gotten home that night. All she knew was that two days ago Rubeus had died. And it was her fault. She'd been in bed ever since. Chad had flown back from Russia where he'd been studying music, and had been keeping watch by Raye's bed from the moment he'd stepped out of the plane. Grandpa had called almost every doctor in town, but none of them did any good. Raye wouldn't eat, wouldn't move. She just lay there, staring at the wall. His face was everywhere. His chocolate colored eyes, his sexy grin, his flaming red hair... his blood.  
  
Serena bit her lip and turned around, looking nervously at Lita, Mina, and Amy.

"I saw her yesterday guys, she doesn't look like herself. Just... try not to say anything about... him." Lita and Mina nodded seriously, while Amy just sighed. Serena slid open the door and motioned for everyone to follow. As the girls rounded the bed, all they could see was a shapeless lump under the blankets, but then Raye's face came into view. Serena wanted to cry again. Raye looked like a ghost. It'd only been two days, and Raye's cheekbones were already sticking out of her face. Her eyes, red and puffy, were sunken into black-rimmed pits, and her face was white as paper. Her hair, once so well-kept and beautiful, was now a tangled, neglected mass that spread on her pillow in clumps. The other girls smiled, but Serena could see through the grins and cheerfulness. She could see the worry, the fear in their eyes. They were all afraid. Lita was the first to shatter the silence.

"Hi Raye!" She smiled cheerfully and held up a lunchbox.

"I just made a batch of cookies! Want some?" Raye didn't even blink. Her eyes were glazed over, staring into space like those of a doll. Mina's turn.

"Hey girlfriend! The new Sailor-V movie is out! Wanna go?" Silence. Amy clasped her laptop to her chest and smiled sweetly.

"Raye, I just received this hilarious joke in my e-mail. Would you like to read it?" There was still no reaction, and Amy's hopeful smile faded.

"I guess she's tired." Serena nodded.

"Yeah, you're probably right Amy."

She smiled lightly and added, "Your mom is a doctor, after all."  
  
Lita, Mina, and Amy waved and smiled grimly.

"See you later!" Then they all filed onto the bus and the door shut behind them. Serena walked back into Raye's room and sat down in the chair. Raye was oblivious to her presence. Serena bit her tongue to keep from screaming. She was watching one of her best friends waste away, and nothing could reach her. Serena had been the most frequent visitor, popping in more often than any doctor. Over the past weekend, Raye hadn't talked or accepted food. Water had to be poured down her throat while someone had held her still. The only way she slept was when a doctor sedated her, and even then, it wasn't sleep. Serena had sat by her bed when Raye was unconscious, wiping sweat from her forehead and crooning to her. But Raye hadn't gotten any better, and Serena knew why. Raye still saw him, she could tell. She remembered what it had felt like when Endymion died. Serena quickly wiped away the tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Serena..." She looked down, praying that she hadn't just heard something. Raye's eyes were focused on her face. They were dim and teary, but they were focused. Serena felt like crying and screaming at the same time.

"Raye? Do you feel better?" Raye didn't blink.

Instead, she looked at Serena pleadingly and whispered, "Why wasn't it enough, Sailor Moon?" Serena gently brushed Raye's matted hair out of her face.

"What do you mean Raye?" Raye's eyes narrowed and her voice raised a tiny bit.

"You know what I mean. Why wasn't it enough to save him? Why?" Serena felt the bottom drop out of her stomach.

"I… I don't know, Raye..." Raye closed her eyes as tears began to squeeze themselves out of the corners. Serena wiped them away quickly.

"Don't, you'll get dehydrated again!" Raye's voice was a harsh, angry croak.

"I don't care! I'll cry if I want to, dammit! I turned into some psychotic war god, and that still wasn't enough! He still died!!!" Serena shook Raye by the shoulders, alarmed.

"Don't say that! It was the Death Phantom's fault, not yours Raye!" Raye's shoulders shook as she started sobbing.

"I'm the one who's supposed to act as your guardian, but he was the one who had to jump in front of you! I'm a failure!"

Serena shook Raye harder and yelled, "You stop that right now, Raye! You didn't fail anybody! Nobody! Do you hear me?!" Raye screamed and started thrashing, flailing wildly in Serena's grip and throwing her off. Chad and Grandpa stumbled in, followed by a doctor. Together, they managed to pin Raye down and jab a tranquilizer into her arm, sending her spiraling into unconsciousness and back to the night of the battle.  
  
Raye glanced around and adjusted her grip on her sword. She sensed someone, something nearby, but she still couldn't place it. There was a soft rustling sound and Raye whirled around.

"Oh my god...." Raye dropped her sword in shock, listening to the echoing thud it made as it hit the ground. Rubeus smiled and reached out, gently stroking her cheek.

"Did you miss me, firefly?" Raye's eyes welled up and she threw her arms around him.

"I thought you were dead!" Rubeus's face softened and he stroked her hair.

"I am dead, Raye." Raye buried her face in his chest. He looked, felt, smelled, so real.

"Why Rubeus? Why couldn't I save you?" Rubeus lifted Raye's chin up so he could look at her eyes. He already missed those eyes- that deep, dark purple, almost as dark as her hair.

"It wasn't your fault, Raye. I made a choice. Every choice has its consequences."

Raye's lower lip trembled and a tear traced down her ivory skin.

"But why did the consequences have to be forever?" Rubeus shook his head.

"It's not forever, Raye. It's not forever." Raye looked at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" Rubeus smiled and kissed her briefly.

"Ask Luna." Then he faded away, and Raye was left alone, with the lingering feeling of his lips against hers.  
  
Serena flopped onto her bed, feeling sick. Luna was standing on Serena's desk, muttering. Serena propped her head up and half-smiled.

"What are you doing Luna?" Luna hung her head and sighed.

"I'm trying to print something I found on the internet, but I can't get this blasted mouse to move! Imagine! Me, a cat, unable to control a mouse!" Serena chuckled and got up, sitting down in front of the computer. She moved the mouse up to the print icon and clicked.

"What's this about anyway?" Luna flinched as the printer gave a loud, shrill beep and spat out the paper.

"When Raye turned into the war-god, didn't she say something about the Olympians?" Serena nodded.

"Yeah. I told you that." Luna sat down in front of the paper, her tail twitching.

"Well, the Olympians are the twelve main Greek gods and goddesses, who, according to mythology, live on top of mount Olympus." Serena nodded, wrinkling her nose. Her mind was trying to tell her something, something important.

"Roman and Greek mythology are very much alike. So, when I looked for the name of the war-god in Greek folklore, I got Ares. However, he has a different name in Roman mythology- Mars." Serena's eyes widened and she stared at Luna, suddenly making the connection.

"Ares is an Olympian, isn't he?" Luna nodded seriously.

"That's exactly right. And so are Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter, also called Aphrodite, Hermes, and Zeus."  
  
Raye ran the Tsukino's doorbell, clutching the doorframe until her knuckles were white. Her head had been spinning and buzzing the whole bus ride, but now it had begun to throb. Raye was sweating just from standing up, her knees shook with her seemingly enormous weight, and her vision was blurred. But all that wasn't important. Luna knew something that could bring Rubeus back. THAT was important.  
  
Serena opened the door and gasped as Raye practically tumbled into her arms.

"Raye! What are you doing up?!" Raye pushed Serena's hands away and gripped the wall, panting.

"I… need... to see... Luna." Serena shook her head.

"Raye, you shouldn't be walking around like this." Raye's eyes narrowed and Serena glimpsed some of the old fire burning in them.

"Don't... tell... me what... to do." Serena sighed.

"Alright. Luna's upstairs." She reached out and took her friend's arm, but Raye jerked it away and started up the stairs, swaying like a drunk and panting as if she'd run a marathon.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine!" Raye got to the top of the stairs and tottered down the hall, finally reaching Serena's doorway.

"Raye!" Luna hopped down from the desk and looked at Raye sternly.

"You shouldn't be here. You're ill."

Raye glared at Luna and snapped, "I've been told. Now tell me something new. Rubeus said that you knew something that might be able to bring him back." Raye's eyes began to water as she uttered her love's name, but she quickly blinked the tears back. Luna looked at her skeptically.

"He... told you?" Raye nodded and slowly stepped away from the wall, standing up straight.

"Yeah, he told me. Now what have you found?" Luna went back to the computer.

"We're beginning to think that there's more to your new transformation than we originally thought. Apparently, the other scouts may be able to do the same thing that you did." Raye nodded.

"Maybe that can bring him back." Luna and Serena exchanged a worried look.

"Raye, when someone dies, it's forever." Raye shook her head violently.

"No! He said it wouldn't be forever! He told me that there's a way to bring him back!" Serena put a hand on Raye's shoulder.

"Raye, you were probably dreaming. He... he can't come back." Raye pushed Serena away again, but she was feeling dizzy.

"No... He was real... I felt him..." The room started spinning wildly, faster and faster, like she was on some insane merry-go-round.

"I felt him..." Raye's legs buckled under her, her eyes rolled back into her head, and she passed out, falling backwards like a felled tree. But right before she hit the floor, a dark, sexy aroma filled her nostrils and Raye's mouth turned upwards in a weak smile. She felt strong arms catch her, cradling her head. A small murmur escaped Raye's lips before she fell completely under.

"Rubeus... you caught me..."

Darien picked Raye up and gently laid her on the bed, glancing at Serena worriedly.

"You weren't exaggerating when you said she was killing herself." Serena perched on the edge of the bed and bit her lip.

"She's so weak... but she's still so stubborn. She won't accept help from anybody. I'm worried about her, Darien." Darien reached down and hugged her.

"Don't worry Serena. Raye's been through worse than this." Serena shook her head.

"No Darien. She hasn't. And that's why I'm worried."  
  
Raye's eyelids flickered and she groaned.

"Ooohhh..." Everything was sore and heavy, and her head pounded like some insane carpenter was at work inside it. Serena heaved a sigh of slight relief and shifted on the bed. "Raye, now that you're awake, you can eat something." Weary purple eyes opened to warm, motherly blue ones as Serena held up a slice of cheesecake.

Raye shook her head and replied, "I'm not all that hungry, really." Serena opened her mouth to reply, but Luna leapt onto the bed.

"You'd better eat it Raye, before she changes her mind and finishes it herself." Serena smiled sweetly and set the plate and fork in Raye's hands, before looking at Luna devilishly.

"You know Luna, it's been a while since you've had a bath." Luna hopped off the bed and stuck her nose in the air.

"Humph. I give myself baths." Serena launched herself off the bed and tackled Luna, cackling like a witch.

"Not with water, you don't!" A literal cat-fight ensued, as Serena struggled to drop Luna in the bathtub, and Luna struggled to free herself. Raye sighed and set the plate down, shaking her head.

"I think I'm gonna go now." She walked out and quietly shut the door, as Serena and Luna wrestled. Neither the dumpling-head nor the soaked cat noticed that Raye had left.


	3. Goddess

Raye's vision blurred as she stumbled down the sidewalk. Her temperature must have been a few hundred degrees, and her nerves were tingling. She was sure her fever had broken, but apparently, it was still as strong as ever. Raye sighed in relief as she collapsed onto the bench of a bus stop. It was only one block from the temple to the bus stop closest to her house, so she wouldn't be walking too much more.

"Hey baby." Raye glanced up. There were five men standing around her, probably in their twenties, and they were all smiling smugly. Raye gulped.

_Crap! I can barely stand and I'm outnumbered five to one. Can this get any better?_ As if to answer her question, the tallest of the men stretched out his hand.

"Why don't you come for a ride?"

Raye smiled at them sweetly and replied, "No thanks, I can wait for the bus." The guy snickered and his friends formed a tight semi-circle around the bench.

"I didn't ask you if you wanted to." Raye felt her temper flare up, but she pushed it back down.

"And I told you that I don't need to go for a ride. That's why I'm not going anywhere with you, and now that I've answered your question, you can go bother someone else." The man's eyes narrowed and he folded his arms.

"I don't like your mouth." Raye's temper burned hotter than ever.

_This jackass just won't take a hint!_ As her anger mounted, she didn't feel so dizzy any more. It was almost as if she was healthy again.

"I don't like your mouth either. Actually, I don't like anything about you. So get lost!" The man glared at her and uncrossed his arms.

"That's it! I'm through being Mr. Nice Guy!" His hand reached for Raye, and she felt her control snap. Raye's arms, draped lazily over the back of the bench, grabbed the edge and she pushed off the ground with her legs, throwing her body up and over the back of the bench. All five men stared, frozen in shock, as Raye landed gracefully on her feet, smirking.

"Sorry, you're going to have to try harder than that." The thugs started moving again, three came around the sides of the bench while the last two hopped over. Trying to strategize, the men formed a semi-circle again, trying to force Raye back against the wall of a building. Raye clasped her hands together in mock distress and pretended to be frightened.

"Oh! Please don't hurt me! I'm so terrified!" The leader stepped forward, scowling and brandishing a knife.

"We were going to have some fun with you, but you're gettin' on my nerves." Raye was trying her best to keep from laughing, and she was failing miserably.

"Oh! I am so sorry for annoying you, just please don't hurt me!" She shook her head and wiped away a tear.

"You're funny, you know that?"

The guy's expression darkened and he growled, "Give me all your money and maybe I'll leave that pretty face of yours the way it is." Raye ignored him and made a show of yawning and looking at her watch.

"Really guys, the bus is going to be here soon. I don't wanna miss my ride." The guy with the knife clenched his jaw, then relaxed.

"Have it your way." Raye's eyes narrowed and she frowned as he stalked towards her.

"I'm not giving you anything, and you're not touching me." The men snickered and elbowed each other as their leader stared Raye down.

"That's what you think, sweetie." The leader suddenly lunged, raising the knife to stab Raye in the shoulder, but Raye caught his wrist and shook her head.

"Don't call me sweetie." The guy growled and jerked his wrist free, swiping at Raye's stomach. Raye sprang back a few feet and put her hands on her hips.

"You're going to poke someone's eye out with that thing."

The man took another step towards her and made a jab for her neck, snarling, "That's the idea!" Raye sidestepped and jabbed her knee into his gut. The man's eyes opened wide and he gasped for breath as his knife clattered to the ground.

"Yeah? Well your bright idea obviously isn't working." Raye pulled her knee back, then elbowed the man in his kidney, making him collapse onto the sidewalk. Raye picked up the knife and glanced at the men around her, smiling smugly.

"Anyone else want to try their luck?" The four guys charged at once, but Raye's smile only widened.

"Ooo, a challenge." She adjusted her grip on the knife, then hurled it through the air. There was a ripping sound as the blade of the weapon tore through the closest thug's shirt and buried itself in a telephone pole. The guy yelped and tried to yank the blade out, but the knife was stuck at least six inches into the wood. The remaining three hesitated, giving Raye time to drop to the ground and sweep another man's legs out from underneath him. His body hit the concrete with a dull thud, as his two friends both dove at Raye. She rolled to the side and smirked as the men collided, then smashed their heads together and backed away. All five men were back on their feet now. The one stuck to the telephone pole had ripped his shirt away and left the knife embedded in the wood. The three Raye had knocked to the ground had managed to stand up, and their leader had finally caught his breath. Raye folded her arms and cocked an eyebrow.

"Wow, are you back for more?" The leader snarled and pulled a handgun from under his jacket, pointing it at Raye's head.

"I don't usually murder little girls, but you asked for it." He squeezed the trigger, and the sharp crack of the gun echoed down the empty street. As the echoes faded, all five thugs' jaws dropped in fear and disbelief as Raye calmly opened her hand and let the bullet drop to the ground.

"Holy shit! She caught it!" Raye shrugged nonchalantly.

"It wasn't that hard. It's just a bullet. Who can't catch one of those?" Raye could actually see the color draining from their faces as the guys started to back away from her.

"What kind of freak are you?!"

She smiled sweetly and cooed, "Don't you wanna play some more?" All five men turned tail and bolted down the street.

Raye's face darkened as she hissed, "I don't think so boys." She sprinted after them, catching up to the slowest one in a matter of seconds. The thug tried to run faster, but Raye body-slammed him into the side of a car. There was a satisfying crunch of bones, and then Raye was running again, catching up to the next three. All three men hopped onto a car and scrabbled over the fence there, but Raye simply vaulted over it and landed lightly in front of them.

"Are we playing tag now?" The thugs tried to hop back over the fence, but there was nothing to climb onto on this side, and Raye had no trouble grabbing two by their shirts and yanking them back. The third noticed his friends in trouble, and, displaying a shocking amount of bravery, charged at Raye. She sighed, then stepped forward and lifted her leg in a high extension kick that connected with the man's chin. He flew back and slumped against the fence, and Raye tossed his friends on top of him, then dusted her hands off.

_Now where'd that last one go to?_ Raye started to turn around, but she heard a click and felt cold metal against her temple.

"Why don't you catch this, bitch." Another gunshot rang out, and Raye shook her head and wagged her finger in the man's face while her other hand held his arm to the side.

"The hand is quicker than the trigger finger." She squeezed the man's wrist until he dropped the gun, and Raye kicked it away. Then she tightened her grip and forced the guy to his knees, glaring down at him coldly.

"If you ever bother me again, or anyone else for that matter, I will personally kick your ass. You'll wish you'd never been born when I get done with you. Got it?" She twisted the thug's arm until tears streamed down his face, then shoved him to the ground.

"And don't think I'm bluffing. Ares keeps her promises." She spun around and walked back to the fence. In one easy jump, she was on the other side.  
  
Serena was busy bandaging her mutilated hands when the doorbell rang again.

"Darien, could you get that?" Darien shook his head and opened the door, then almost fainted in shock to see a perfectly healthy, if a little shaken, Raye standing on the step.

"R-Raye! What happened?" Raye smiled soothingly and walked inside.

"It's a long story, and I only want to tell it once, so Serena and Luna had better hear it too."  
  
Luna hopped down from the bed and began to pace the floor.

"This is strange. So you ran into these five thugs, and all of a sudden you were as good as new?" Raye shook her head.

"It wasn't instantaneous. I actually felt my body healing. It was only a few seconds, but it still wasn't right away. I don't know what happened. And I did some really strange things." Luna nodded.

"Yes, you already told us." Raye shook her head.

"No! It's more than that! I did more than just jumping fences and beating the crap out of five people. I… I don't know how to explain this but…" Serena and Darien leaned forward anxiously.

"What happened, Raye?" Raye bit her lip and took a deep breath.

"I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell you this a few minutes ago, but I think it's important. When those guys had me surrounded, the ringleader pulled a gun out and fired at me." Serena gasped and covered her mouth with a bandaged hand.

"He shot you?!" Raye shook her head.

"No, he tried to shoot me… but... I caught the bullet." Darien and Serena both stared at Raye, and Luna froze in mid-step, with one paw still in the air.

"What do you mean, you caught the bullet?" Raye threw her hands up in frustration.

"I mean exactly what I said! I caught it! He fired the gun, I felt something hit my palm, I opened it up, and the bullet fell out of my hand!" Darien stood up and grasped Raye's wrist, holding her hand up so that it was in the light.

"You don't even have a bruise! How can a human catch a bullet that was fired from a gun and not have a scratch?" Raye pulled her hand back and stared at it.

"I… I don't think I'm completely human anymore. I referred to myself as Ares again. I warned the leader that if he ever harassed anyone again, I'd beat him to a pulp. And then I said 'Ares keeps her promises.' I think I might be turning into Ares." Luna shook off her dismay and sat down.

"But that's impossible! Ares is male."

Raye turned to stare at the sunset and murmured, "Maybe not. Ares is a god, right? Well, aren't gods all-powerful? Couldn't they manifest as the opposite gender if they wanted to?" Luna frowned and started pacing again as her tail flicked back and forth.

"Well, I suppose it is possible. But why would a god want to do something like that?" Raye shook her head.

"You're missing the point. Do you think it's possible I am the female incarnation of Ares?" Serena's brow furrowed.

"I see your point Raye, but what does that mean about the rest of us?" Raye walked over to Serena's window and leaned out of it, gazing down at the street below.

"I'm not sure. But I intend to find out."


	4. Warning

Raye poured herself another cup of tea and picked her book back up. She'd gone to the library and checked out over two dozen books on Greek and Roman mythology. The librarian had nearly fainted when Raye set them all down on the check-out counter. The bus ride home hadn't been too pleasant either, with a ten-pound back pack on her shoulder and two duffel bags stuffed full with textbooks, but she'd managed. Now she was curled up on her bed, surrounded by a pile of dusty old hardbacks. It was almost five in the morning, and Raye was exhausted, but she just couldn't stop reading. If any of these myths had something that could bring Rubeus back to life, she was going to find it. Raye yawned and rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand. She wanted to keep searching, but she was just so tired… so very tired…  
  
Raye pulled her sword back for the death-blow, smirking down at Prince Diamond while her foot on his chest held him down.

"This is where you die, Diamond. For good." Diamond sneered at her and shook his head.

"Go ahead Sailor Mars. Kill me. I'll keep coming back. We'll all keep coming back."

Raye's eyes narrowed and she hissed, "Not if I have anything to say about it!" She thrust her arm forward, plunging the sword through Diamond's chest and pinning him to the ground. Diamond's back arched and he screamed in agony, as his hands clawed at the blade that impaled him.

"We'll destroy you all! All of you damn Sailor Scouts and your damn Princess Serenity! You'll burn in Hell!" His body slowly went limp and Diamond's hands fell back to his sides.

He lifted his head to smirk up at Raye and whispered, "Chaos will win this time. Chaos will have its revenge. We'll all have our revenge." His head dropped to the ground and his eyes stared straight ahead, empty and lifeless. Raye briefly wondered who Diamond had been referring to when he used the word 'we,' but she shook the thoughts off and jerked her sword back. She wiped the blade clean on the grass and sneered at Diamond's corpse.

"Feh. I can't believe I got your filthy blood all over my sword. Disgusting. I should have strangled you with my own hands." She turned around and gasped as she was grabbed by the throat and lifted off the ground. Diamond smirked and yanked Raye's sword out of her hand.

"You are right about that. My blood doesn't do your sword any justice. Your own blood would be so much more suitable." Raye's eyes widened in shock and pain as she felt her own sword thrust into her stomach. Diamond released her neck and let her flop to the ground. Raye struggled to breathe and clutched at the handle of her sword, trying to pull it out.

"But… you…" Diamond smirked and knelt down, grabbing Raye's chin and turning her head so that she was looking at him.

"But I died? Yes, I was dead. Just like Rubeus."

Raye felt her strength slipping away as Diamond's smirk widened and he whispered, "Too bad it wasn't Rubeus that came back." His hand gripped the handle of Raye's sword and he twisted it, making her scream and writhe in anguish. He let go of the blade again and smiled down at her mockingly.

"But I can make it so that you can come back too. Just forget about Rubeus, he's dead for good. But I will be reborn every single time you kill me, unless Chaos is banished forever. Of course, that won't happen. As long as Chaos exists, his servants will never truly die, and if you are one of them, then you will be saved." His icy blue eyes moved down Raye's body and then back to her face.

"You could be happy without Rubeus, you know. There are better men than him." Raye's face was contorted in pain and fury, but she still managed to sneer.

"Better men? Like you?" Diamond chuckled.

"Yes, actually." He shook his head, looking almost amused.

"I used to think that Neo-Queen Serenity was perfect, the ultimate prize… But she's so weak. She always looks for the peaceful solution, always refuses to fight. But you love battle, you charge into it without hesitation. You're so much stronger, so much braver, and so beautiful. You could be Queen of the Black Moon, maybe even the universe." Raye felt herself slipping further into darkness, but she didn't bother to hide her contempt.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere. I'd rather die." Diamond's eyes narrowed and he grasped her sword again, yanking it out of her stomach.

"I guess you'll get your wish then. But just remember, Sailor Mars, that without you, your little friends are doomed." Diamond pressed the edge of the blade against Raye's throat and smirked.

"Long live the war goddess." Raye squeezed her eyes shut, and tried to grab the sword, tried to push it away from her neck, but she couldn't move at all. Crystal Tokyo flashed in her mind, then crumbled to dust and was swallowed by darkness. A mocking voice sounded in Raye's ears, a voice that didn't sound anything like Diamond's. It was a strange voice, sounding both male and female at the same time, echoing inside Raye's head.

_The Gods light the universe _

_But should they e'er fall _

_The one that is five _

_Shall forever rule all_  
  
"Aah!" Raye rolled off the bed and landed on the floor with a dull thud. She opened her eyes and panicked for a second or two when she couldn't move, but she calmed down slightly when she realized that her blanket was twisted around her body. Raye wriggled free and quickly felt her stomach, to make sure that there was no sword embedded there. She brushed her hair out of her eyes with shaking hands and heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

_Was it a dream?_ Raye looked around her and regained her control as she surveyed her room. She'd been dreaming. Just dreaming.

_But if that was a dream, why does my stomach hurt?_ Raye stood up and walked over to her mirror, frowning. There were no bloodstains on her T-shirt, no sign whatsoever that she'd been stabbed. Just to make sure, Raye pulled her T-shirt up to expose her abdomen. She stood there in shock for a few seconds, before clapping her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming. Her entire stomach was one huge bruise, colored a sickly yellowish green, and there was a small cut at the center of the mark. The cut was only skin deep- if it had been anywhere else on her body it could have been a paper-cut. Of course, Raye knew better. That cut was in the exact same spot that she'd been pierced by her sword in her so-called 'dream.'

_No... this can't be real! It's over! The fighting is over_! She touched the cut with a shaking hand and collapsed to her knees, biting her tongue to keep from crying.

_Will we ever be able to live in peace?_ She hugged her knees to her chest and leaned her back against the wall, staring straight ahead of her.

"I don't want to fight any more," she murmured.

_Okay girl, get a grip. This is definitely bad news, so Luna and the others need to know. We can throw a pity party later, but for now, there's work to do._  
  
Mina and Serena stumbled up the steps to the Hikawa Shrine, panting.

"Gee Raye, you live on a pretty steep hill." Raye shot them both a death glare and tapped her foot while Amy and Lita carefully kept their distance. Raye had recovered, which had made everyone happy, but she'd also gotten her temper back, which was likely to send someone to the hospital sooner or later.

"You're a half-hour late!!! Where the hell were you?!"

Mina and Serena both pointed at one another and yelled in unison, "It's her fault!" Raye's eyebrow twitched and she tightened her grip on the broom in her hands. Oh yes, someone was definitely going to the hospital. Probably sooner, rather than later.

"I said, WHERE WERE YOU?!" Both blondes fell backwards, clinging to each other for dear life.

"It all started when Mina made me give her a ride-" Mina pulled away and jumped up, glaring down at Serena.

"I MADE YOU?! I asked you for a ride and you sat there and tugged on Darien's shirt until he agreed to take us both!" Serena climbed to her feet and crossed her arms.

"Well we both would have been on time if you hadn't started flirting with the guy in the elevator!" Mina tossed her hair over her shoulder and stuck her nose in the air.

"You're just jealous 'cause you can't get any." Serena gave Mina her best evil-eye.

"I can get some from any guy, I'm just committed!" Mina snorted.

"You mean your sweet Mamo-chan has to wear you as an accessory for the whole day. If we lived in the United States, you would've been arrested years ago for cruel and unusual torture. I mean, come on! I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy!"

Behind Raye, Lita leaned over and whispered to Amy, "That was harsh."

Amy sweatdropped and whispered back, "The truth hurts." They looked back to the two frozen blondes as total and complete silence settle over the Hikawa Shrine. Of course, in Serena's presence, silence never lasts very long.

"Mina, you're nothing but a dumb, blonde… wannabe Barbie doll!" Mina's cerulean eyes widened in horror, then narrowed until they were barely more than slits.

"Take that back." Serena returned to the bad habit of pulling down her eyelid and sticking out her tongue.

"Never! So nyah!" Mina's scream of fury echoed through the entire city as she pounced on Serena and grabbed both her pigtails, yanking as hard as she could. Serena's wails of pain chased Mina's voice through the streets mere seconds afterwards.

"Owowowowowow!!! Let go! That's my HAIR!!!" Mina held both pigtails with one hand and whacked Serena on the side of her head with the other.

"No duh! I, unlike you, am NOT a dumb blonde, so I know that sort of thing!" The cat fight soon ended, however, when Raye stomped over to the two shrieking girls and demonstrated one of the things brooms could be used for besides sweeping- namely, beating people half to death.

"GROW UP SERENA! AND YOU TOO MINA!" Once again, silence descended upon the shrine. Amy pulled a pair of ear-plugs out of her pocket and sighed.

"I hope she doesn't shatter any glass this time." Lita produced her own pair of ear-plugs and nodded in agreement.

"You know, this is sort of like the calm before the storm."

Amy rolled her eyes and responded, "Correction: the calm before the RAIN storm." Both girls inserted their ear-plugs with perfect timing, as the silence, along with almost all the glass within a mile's radius, was shattered.

"WWWAAAAAHHHAAAAAHHH!!!" Raye covered her ears and stumbled backwards, praying that she would still have her hearing by the end of the day.

"SERENA!!! STOP BAWLING!!!" The blonde menace to the windows of the world sniffed and attempted to dry her eyes. That was a wasted effort though, seeing as Serena was completely drenched in salt water, and sitting in a puddle that was roughly the size of your average car. Mina unclasped her hands from her ears and wrung out her soaked shirt (luckily, she hadn't worn white that day).

"I dunno about a Princess, Serena, but I'll bet you've been a fountain or something in a past life." Serena's eyes watered up again, and Raye grabbed her broom and got out of there while she still had the chance.

"You're always so cruel to me." Serena started wailing again, and the puddle around her got deeper by the second. Raye covered her ears again and waded over to Serena, slapping one of her wards over the crybaby's mouth.

"If you don't pull yourself together RIGHT NOW, then I'll hang you from a tree until Darien comes to pull you down. Do you hear me?" Serena blinked her watery eyes and sniffed quietly, but she stood up, wrung out her wet clothes, and trudged into Raye's house. Lita, Amy, and Mina all gaped at Raye in awe. Usually, Raye would just beat the dumpling-head unconscious whenever she had a fit, but this time, Serena had been able to walk away. Wonder of wonders. Miracle of miracles.


	5. Departure

"Okay, ladies! Let's get down to business!" The girls were all sitting around the fire in the temple, with Raye at the top of the circle, dressed in her priestess robes and holding a rosary.

"So, Raye, what's this all about?" Amy pushed her glasses back up her nose, only to have them slip down again.

"Did you discover something interesting about Mars?" Raye nodded.

"Among other things. Also, I think I might've had a premonition. I'm not positive what it means, but I can show you, and maybe you guys will figure it out." Lita scratched her head.

"How're you gonna do that?" Raye gestured toward the fire.

"My ESP, and a few other talents, have all become much more powerful lately. By using the fire as a medium, I can project my visions into your minds." Mina nodded.

"Alright then, let's get started." Raye nodded and folded her hands, lowering her head.

"I want all of you to close your eyes." The girls complied, and Raye began praying.

_See,_ she thought. _See as I see, and come to understand._ The vision came slowly at first, very faint and shadowy, like a poorly filmed movie. Then, it began to come clearer. Sweat broke out on Raye's forehead, and the other girls started shuddering, as the horrible scene played out before them. They watched Crystal Tokyo shatter like it was entirely made of glass. They watched its inhabitants fade away as though they'd never existed. But the vision didn't stop there, as it had before. The girls saw NeoQueen Serenity, bruised and bloody- defeated- dying on the ground, her senshi guardians strewn about her. That image faded into blackness, and was replaced by yet another one. They were now looking down on the present day earth from outer space. There was a source of warm, white light emanating from Tokyo, and that light wrapped around the entire planet. As they watched, the light was extinguished, and inky blackness began to spread out from Japan, enveloping the whole world. Raye felt panic rising up in her as she realized that this was not only more than she had seen last time, she couldn't will the images away. This was not merely the projection of a previous vision- it was an entirely new vision. And it was under someone else's control. She started to struggle, to fight against the foreign power that was assailing them all. The vision faded for a moment, then came back full force; so powerful that it triggered a wave of nausea. Raye swallowed the bile that was rising in her throat and tried to concentrate, but the voice from her last vision echoed in her head again and scattered her thoughts.

_The Gods light the universe_

_But should they e'er fall_

_The one that is five_

_Shall forever rule all_

The laughter that followed could only be described as maniacal. It filled the heads of the scouts, battering their senses and clouding their minds. Then, the laughter suddenly stopped, and a venomous whisper took its place.

_Soon, scouts… You will pay for your insolence. For thinking that good could truly triumph over evil. You think you've won, but the day is coming when I will have my revenge! Sweet revenge on you all- past, present, and future!_

The laughter resumed, louder and more terrible than ever, until Raye finally broke free of the spell and focused all her excorcismal power in one strike.

"Akuryotaisan!!!" Instantly, the vision dissipated, and all the girls slumped over on the floor, weak and breathless. Raye was the first to move, using her shaking arms to prop herself up and glance at the fire, which had been reduced to a smoldering pile of ashes. She was completely drenched in sweat, her hair was sticking to her face, and it felt as though her body had nearly been ripped apart. Apparently, the others felt the same way.

"What was that?" Amy sat up, groaning.

"Do you have any idea, Raye?" Raye nodded, which turned out to be a mistake, seeing as it only intensified the nausea that overwhelmed her. Raye stood up and feebly tottered outside, leaned over the porch railing, and threw up. The girls formed a semi-circle behind her, silently waiting for an answer.

"I don't think that using the fire was a very good idea…" She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth before straightening up.

"Someone, or something, invaded my mind while I was open and vulnerable, then passed through me to get to all of you." She glanced around at the ashen faces of her friends.

"It would seem that I suffered the full force of the attack, while what you felt was weaker… diluted, you could say." The other girls remained silent, until Mina piped up.

"So, Raye, what else do you have for us today?" Raye smiled weakly at the dry tone in Mina's voice.

"Compared to this, the other stuff I found out is definitely good news."

After a quick break for tea, the girls gathered around Raye's living room table.

"Okay, I've been doing research on Greek and Roman mythology, and here's what I've turned up." The other girls leaned in closer, hanging on her every word, which made Raye smile slightly.

"There are twelve main gods and goddesses, called the Olympians in Greek mythology, who rule pretty much everything. There's a whole bunch of other deities underneath them, but these twelve are the head honchos. In the Greek mythology, the names don't hold a lot of significance to us, but the Roman mythology is another story…" She took a deep breath.

"Each one of us is named after one of those gods or goddesses. Also, our powers are associated with each of our respective deities. For example- the Greek god of war was named Ares." The girls' eyes widened slightly. That name was sort of familiar.

"The Roman war god," Raye continued, "was known as Mars." That was when the scouts' mouths dropped open. They DEFINITELY knew THAT name.

"So, let me get this straight," Serena started. "You're the scout of war, and you're named after the god of war, and the rest of us are named after gods too?!" Raye nodded.

"Exactly. I've looked up each and every one of us, and I found the deities we're associated with. First is Selene, goddess of the moon." All the girls turned to stare at Serena, who looked shocked.

"That sounds like my name!" Raye nodded.

"According to legend, Selene fell in love with a mortal man named Endymion." Serena's shocked expression intensified.

"But… that's… in our past lives… that was Darien's name…" Raye sighed.

"That's the point! Nothing about us is coincidence. Amy's a good example." Amy blushed, suddenly uncomfortable now that she was the center of attention.

"Wh-what do you mean, Raye?" Raye pulled out the notes she had taken and glanced at them.

"The god Mercury was the patron god of thieves, businessmen, travelers, and all others who relied on their wits and intelligence to see them through. So it makes sense that the sailor scout who bears his name just happens to be a genius." Amy blushed even more, until Raye mercifully moved on.

"I've already explained Mars, so I'll go on to Jupiter. Jupiter is the king and protector of the gods, and the ruler of heaven. His weapons are lightning bolts that were forged by the Cyclops." Raye gestured to Lita.

"Sailor Jupiter is the scout of protection, and she fights with the forces of lightning." Raye looked back to her notes.

"Venus is the goddess of love and beauty. No man, mortal or immortal, friend or foe, could resist her." At this, Mina tossed her hair and stuck her nose in the air.

"Boys are always telling me that I'm a goddess." It was then that Serena and Lita tackled Mina and started teaching her a lesson about being snotty, while Amy winced and hid behind a book.

"Settle down!" Raye glared around the table as the girls resumed their places.

"That's better. Now we're getting into the outer senshi, who aren't here. First is Uranus. Uranus was the Sky, and he fell in love with Gaia, the Earth, and together they gave birth to the Titans- mighty gods that shone like the sun and were so tall that they used mountains as their thrones." Raye's audience was still held captive.

"Next is Neptune, the god of the sea. He had a terrible temper, and his nickname was Earthshaker, because whenever he touched the water with his trident, the waves grew gigantic and drowned entire cities, and whenever his trident touched the ground, it would shake violently and split open."

Mina was still long enough to murmur, "cool," before resuming her enthusiastic nodding.

"Then there's Pluto, the god of the underworld. Pluto was dark, gloomy, and solitary. He ruled his dimension by himself, and he, like Neptune, had a horrible temper. If someone disobeyed, insulted or humiliated Pluto, he made them pay dearly." Raye glanced up one last time, then read the last name on the list.

"Saturn was the god of time. He was also the youngest and most powerful of the Titans, along with being the father of Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto. He overthrew his father, Uranus, to become Lord of the Universe, but was, in turn, usurped by his own children." The girls were silent for a few moments, before Amy shook off her surprise.

"So, Raye, what you're telling us is that it may be possible for us transform the way you did?" Raye nodded pensively.

"Into our patron gods, yes." Serena looked at Raye with a serious expression on her face.

"Will it be enough to defeat our next enemy?" Raye bit her lip and stared down, unwilling to meet her friends' eyes.

"To be honest… I don't think so." The girls looked confused.

"What do you mean, Raye? You and Serenity defeated the Death Phantom without help from any of us, and he was one of our most dangerous enemies! If all the rest of us transform into gods, then nothing will stand a chance against our combined power!" Raye shook her head halfheartedly without looking up.

"I'm just not too sure. I mean, we've had some pretty close calls before." Images came unbidden into her mind, flashing before her eyes. One image in particular came back stronger than the others- the image of a blood-stained hand lying on the grass.

"Maybe you can only cheat death so many times…" Mina slammed her hands on the table as she stood up.

"What the hell has gotten into you, Raye?! You've never acted like this before! We always win, and you know that! You've lost your focus!" Raye didn't move, and her eyes remained on the floor.

"I… I know that, Mina. I'm just… I'm having trouble right now. That's all." Mina snorted.

"Yeah, right. Keep telling yourself that. In the meantime, those of us who aren't moping over some dead guy will keep on doing our job!"

"Mina!" Amy frowned at her blonde friend.

"That was very rude of you! None of this is Raye's fault!" Mina turned to glare at Amy.

"Oh, so you mean that we shouldn't be blaming her for the fact that she's practically forgotten about her princess and her friends just because of some desperate guy?!" Amy's eyes took on a hurt look for a second, but that soon changed into a different emotion, one that the peaceful soldier of water never showed- rage.

"You know what, Mina? I'm beginning to think that you're just jealous!" Mina gasped, taken completely aback. She, or anyone else for that matter, had never seen Amy so furious.

"You are shallow, irresponsible, and hypocritical! You're always chattering about your latest boyfriend or your newest crush, and the only thing you ever take seriously is protecting Serenity! And that's just because you have to! You're an attention starved brat, and you just can't stand the fact that Raye not only has a man who loves her, everyone is feeling sorry for her! You want everyone to be feeling sorry for you!" Amy's last word almost seemed to echo as she panted, breathless from her tirade. Mina stood there in stunned silence for a moment, but then she started yelling back.

"Oh yeah Amy?! Well you really shouldn't be talking! Little girl genius, always sooo smart! Everybody loves Amy! What would we do without you?! We wouldn't have to listen to you showing off all the time, that's what! And since when did you have the right to accuse me of being jealous of Raye?! If I remember correctly, you've never had a boyfriend, guys never hit on you, and you're always whining about how you'll never find anybody who'll appreciate you because you're not pretty enough!" It was Lita's turn to leap up.

"Hey, come on Mina! You know Amy didn't mean any of that!" Amy glared at Lita.

"I can speak for myself, thank you very much!"

Mina chimed in, "Just shut up and sit down, Lita! The next time a bad guy shows up, we'll just call you and you can charge in and beat the crap out of them! That's all you're good for!"

Lita stomped over and glared down her nose at Mina, her face a perfect picture of utter fury.

"At least I can defend myself, much less do my job! I don't have to rely on other people to save my ass! You would've died a dozen times by now if it weren't for Artemis and the rest of us! Remember how you fell right into the Dead Moon's Trap, and the rest of us had to risk our lives to save you?!"

Mina snarled, "Well, if I remember right, I'm the only one who didn't get caught by the Black Moon! Apparently, you're not all that brilliant either!"

Amy shouted, "From what Serena told me, you almost did too, Mina! And besides, the Black Moon captured us when we were separated and vulnerable! If you had stayed with us, you would have been fine!" Serena overcame her dismay and stood up.

"Girls! Don't fight like this! This is exactly what our enemy wants!" Mina shot Serena a venomous glare, then turned around and stomped out of Raye's house.

"Well, you know what? I don't give a crap about our enemy! This is what I want! I'm tired of listening to all of your bullshit!"

Lita yelled in frustration, then turned to Amy and screamed, "See what you did?! Because of you, we've lost one of the members of our team!"

Amy blinked back tears and snapped, "Because of me?! This is my fault?! You're the ones who don't appreciate me! Everything I do for you is just, 'Gee, thanks Amy.' You take me for granted! You'll see how much you need me once I'm gone!" The weeping girl fled out the door, startling Phobos and Deimos, who had perched outside.

Lita followed her to the door and yelled after her, "Well, let's see you fight without me! I'm the best one here at hand-to-hand combat, and you all know it! But, now that you've pissed me off, you're just gonna have to find someone else!" As the last girl stomped out the door, Serena sighed and slumped down next to Raye, who still hadn't budged.

"Maybe we aren't supposed to win." Serena glanced at her friend, startled.

"What are you talking about?!" Raye's eyes were wet, but she didn't let a single tear fall.

"We're just kids. There's only so much we can do. We're always up against impossible odds. Maybe there are only so many times we can survive. Maybe, this time, we'll fall apart."

Serena stood up angrily and admonished, "Maybe so. Especially the way things have been going. After all, Sailor Mars has always been determined to win, but now you've given up before this battle has really started." Serena started to follow the path her friends had taken, but she stopped at the door.

"But you're wrong about losing this fight, Raye. It's not that we aren't trying hard enough… It's that we've stopped trying at all." With that, Serena disappeared. The girl that should have become a queen. The queen of a future that, it seemed, was already lost.


	6. Mistake

Raye put down her bow and wiped her sweaty forehead. She'd been practicing her archery for a few hours now, despite the fact that it was scorching hot. She picked up her water bottle and gulped down some of the cool liquid, then leaned back against the wall and looked over at Phobos and Deimos, who were perched on the temple's roof.

"What do you think guys? Should we call it a day?" The two crows fluttered down and settled by her bow, cawing loudly. Raye smiled and shook her head.

"I'll take that as a no." Satisfied, Phobos and Deimos returned to their respective perches. Raye walked over and picked the bow back up, strung an arrow, and was about to let the feathered shaft fly when the phone rang. Raye rolled her eyes and put the bow and arrow back on the ground. As she walked into the house, the phone rang one last time and the answering machine picked up.

"Raye? It's me. Serena." Raye froze in the doorway, suddenly unsure of what to do. It had been almost a month since the girls had fought. Although life was somewhat dull without her friends, Raye had endured it, as had all the others. This was the first time any of them had tried to contact her.

"Come on Raye, I know you're there! Pick up! Please!" Raye remained immobile, listening as Serena sighed.

"I guess you really aren't home then. I was just calling to… well, I wanted to apologize. I guess we've all been a little stressed out lately. But now that we've had a break, we can get together again! You should come over sometime! How does Saturday night sound? Call me back, okay?" There was a click as Serena hung up, and Raye still didn't move. She knew they shouldn't be fighting like this. Especially since there was an incredible enemy force somewhere out there. To make matters worse, Raye had been sensing yet another evil aura for some time now. It was faint, as if the force emitting it was far away, but Raye knew that it was actually quite close. She was sure of it. She couldn't gauge the enemy's power, though. All in all, it was making her nervous. But still, she honestly couldn't bear to face the other girls right then. Her feelings were still hurt, and she was still fighting off depression. She wanted to be strong by the next time the girls saw her. Weakness was something to be ashamed of in her mind. And she had been very weak lately. Raye shook her head, as if to clear her mind, then walked back outside and picked her bow back up. There was a twang as the arrow flew from the bow and buried itself dead center in the target.

That night, in the Crossroads Shopping District, a mysterious circus tent appeared, and posters popped up all over town proclaiming that the world renowned circus from the depths of the Amazon, the Dead Moon circus, had returned.

Raye was walking down the street, carrying a bag of groceries. The weather was starting to get unusually hot again. In an attempt to keep from frying, she'd decided to wear shorts and a tank top, and she'd pulled her long hair into a messy knot at the back of her head. But she still felt like she was in an oven. Raye stopped and set her groceries down, then shielded her eyes with one hand and squinted up at the glaring sun. Tokyo hadn't experienced a heat wave like this since the Dead Moon Circus had been defeated. Raye's eyes widened as a thought suddenly struck her. Could they have returned? After all, the members of the Black Moon had been resurrected. It was a distinct possibility. Besides, Raye had been feeling that second evil aura, the one that was nearby. Was it them? Raye jerked out of her daze and shook her head vigorously.

_Great, just great.__ I'm becoming paranoid. _She picked her bags back up and resumed walking, trying to reason with herself.

_It's probably some low-class demon. We annihilated the Dead Moon. There's no way in hell that they could be- _It was then that Raye froze, dead in her tracks, as the bags of groceries spilled open and dumped their contents on the sidewalk. She stared at the telephone pole in front of her, blinking in shock. Dead Moon Circus, the sign read. The greatest show on Earth! Returning from the depths of the Amazon for a special repeat performance!

_Back… They really are back… But… how? _Raye felt the strange urge to look across the street, and she did. There was Mina, standing completely still and staring at another poster, with the same horrified look on her face. Raye almost called out to her, but Mina turned around on her own and locked eyes with Raye. After a few seconds, the blonde girl turned away and sprinted down the street, leaving her friend far, far behind.

Raye stood by the phone, resting her hand lightly on the keypad. The other girls. She should call them. She had to call them. But she couldn't bring herself to do it.

_I have to do something… But I can't do it alone… _Raye's violet eyes narrowed and she picked up the receiver, punching at the number keys with savage force.

_No… Raye couldn't do it alone… But I'm not that weak little girl anymore… _After a few seconds, someone picked up and chirped a cheerful greeting.

Raye smiled sweetly and replied, "Hello, I'd like to purchase a ticket for the circus."

Raye strolled nonchalantly between the carnival booths, pretending to watch the little games and sideshows. But underneath the façade of the pretty, innocent schoolgirl lurked the razor sharp senses and keen intellect of a warrior. And this warrior was taking a little advice from the old adage, "Know thine enemy." Raye had long ago confirmed her worst fear- this was, indeed, the very same Dead Moon Circus that the scouts had defeated not too long ago. With her psychic talents stronger than ever, Raye could actually see the circus's evil aura without even focusing. Shadows, not cast by sunlight, crept along the ground, drifting and swirling like inky mist. Exactly how and why the Dead Moon was back, however, remained a mystery.

Mina picked up the phone and rested it against her shoulder, with her ear pressed to the receiver, as she dried a bowl with her hands.

"Hello?"

"Mina?" The blonde's eyes widened as the bowl slipped from her hands and shattered on the floor.

"Serena!"

Her shocked expression was replaced by a scowl and she snapped, "What the hell do you want?!"

"I want you to get over yourself, that's what!" The tone in Serena's voice sounded like a mother scolding her child.

"Amy, Lita, and I are having a meeting at my house, and you're going to come, whether you like it or not!"

Mina shook off her surprise and grabbed the receiver, holding it in front of her and shouting, "And what makes you think I'm going to listen to you?!"

"Because," Serena replied calmly, "I am your princess, you are my guardian, and it is your duty to obey my every order. So quit throwing your little tantrum, grow up, and get over here." Mina was caught totally off guard. Only NeoQueen Serenity could sound so deadly without raising her voice. An uncontrollable shiver made its way down Mina's spine, but she managed to regain her composure.

"Well, what about Raye? Why doesn't she have to come?" Serena was silent for a few seconds.

"I'm assuming you know that the Dead Moon Circus is back."

Mina nodded and replied, "Yeah, so?"

A worried note wormed its way into Serena's voice as she asked, "Do you know that Raye has already gone to fight them on her own?" Mina's gut started twisting itself into knots.

"That's crazy! What is she thinking?!"

"She's thinking that she can't ask us for help anymore. She's thinking that we're all still mad at her. And because of that, she'll probably die unless we all put our petty arguments aside and work together like the team we're supposed to be."

Mina stared at the floor for a second before muttering, "I'm on my way."

Amy and Lita sat on opposite ends of Serena's bed, refusing to make eye contact, while Serena tapped her foot as she waited for Mina. The blonde stumbled in the door, breathless, making it obvious that she'd been running. The tension in the atmosphere increased drastically, and all four girls were silent until Amy broke the silence.

"Lita, Mina, I apologize for my behavior." The diminutive girl stared at her hands, which were clasped in her lap.

"What I said was uncalled for and rude. Please forgive me." Mina hung her head and traced circles on the floor with the toe of her shoe.

"I'm sorry too, guys. I don't know what came over me, but even if I did know, it still wouldn't be any excuse for the way I was acting."

Lita folded her arms across her chest and grumbled, "What you guys said…" Serena clapped her hands together cheerfully and smiled.

"Thank you, ladies. Now, we can get down to business." All argument forgotten, the girls clustered closer together around the bed, while Serena sat cross-legged at the top with a determined look on her face.

"You all saw the posters, didn't you?" The three other girls nodded grimly.

Serena took a breath and continued, "Then you know that Queen Nephrenia and her minions have returned." Again, the girls nodded in confirmation.

"I'd been trying to contact everybody for some time, but when I saw those posters, I knew that, as your leader, I had to take serious action. So I contacted all of you directly. The only person I couldn't get a hold of was Raye. So, I went to her house this morning to talk to her, and there was a note for her grandpa saying that she was out for the day." Lita frowned.

"She went to the circus alone, didn't she?" Serena nodded.

"Yes, she did. But we all know that she can't beat the Dead Moon on her own. I say we go after her, before it's too late." Amy and Mina nodded, but Lita jumped off the bed and ran to the door.

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's hurry!" Serena, Amy, and Mina looked at each other, shrugged, and hurried to catch up with Lita.

Raye smirked. She was standing near the main tent, next to an entrance that said 'Performers Only.' She slipped in, the smirk never leaving her face. She technically was a performer, because she planned on putting on one hell of a show. The back section of the tent was filled with cages, the animals inside pacing back and forth and shifting restlessly. The shadows were even thicker here- both the natural shadows, and the evil ones. Raye crept forward, trying to keep close to the wall of the tent without coming too close to the cages. She heard a soft rustling noise behind her, and whirled around, fists raised in a fighting stance. There was nothing. Raye started to lower her guard, but then she heard the sound again. This time, it was coming from behind her. Raye suddenly realized that she'd made a mistake and cursed herself for her foolishness. She backed up against the wall of the tent; scanning around her and trying to anticipate the attack she knew was coming. The sound kept getting closer, and it was always coming from a different direction, but Raye didn't know how close her attacker actually was until a snake started coiling around her leg.

Serena and the others pushed back against the security guards that were holding them back.

"You don't understand! Our friend is in there, and she needs our help!" The guards exchanged a skeptical glance.

"Oh really? And why is that?"

"She's a diabetic," interjected Amy, "and she's forgotten to take her insulin!" One of the guards smirked triumphantly.

"Well, in that case, you might want to bring her insulin to her. You do have it, right?" Amy's face reddened. How could she have overlooked such a trivial detail?

"Well, seeing as you obviously don't have your friend's insulin, I suggest you go back and get it!" The guard's voice was practically dripping with sarcasm as he shoved the four girls out the door.

"Now get outta here and don't come back!!!" Mina sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Well, that didn't work," she commented dryly.

Lita looked over at Serena and asked, "So now what do we do?" Serena gritted her teeth.

"They knew we were coming… which means that they know about Raye, too. They're keeping us separated. If we can't find a way in there…" Serena's words faded into silence. The girls all knew what would happen if they didn't find Raye soon.

Raye stood perfectly still, all too aware that the slightest movement would probably startle the snake into biting her. She glanced down the bridge of her nose to look at the animal, and the bottom dropped out of her stomach as she realized that she was looking at a Black Mamba. The most venomous snake in the world. A single bite from a Black Mamba was practically guaranteed to kill, unless antivenin was administered immediately. Of course, Raye suspected that the Dead Moon didn't keep human medicines around, and, even if they did, they probably wouldn't give them to her.

Four female figures emerged from the darkness. One of them was giggling madly, while the other girls merely smirked.

"How nice of you to join us, Sailor Mars." Raye remained silent, but inside, she was fuming.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!!! I should have known they'd be ready for me!_

The giggling one stopped and asked sweetly, "How do you like our friend?" Raye gritted her teeth and glared furiously at them.

"Who are you?" One of the girls wagged her finger.

"Now, now, you really shouldn't be talking. The snake will sense the vibrations, and it might feel threatened. It will attack if it feels threatened. But… to answer your question…" The four girls stepped forward, and Raye gasped.

"The Sailor Quartet?!" It was, indeed, the Sailor Quartet. Sailors Ceres, Juno, Pallas, and Vesta. The senshi guardians of Princess Lady Serenity, also known as Rini, the daughter of NeoQueen Serenity and the heir to the throne. Although, they seemed to have forgotten their true identities.

Palla Palla scoffed and retorted, "Well, you're the stupid one aren't you? We're not Sailor Scouts! We're the Amazoness Quartet!"

The snake coiled around Raye's leg hissed as she started yelling, "Wake up, girls! Nephrenia has brainwashed you again! You have to remember your true identities! Your true duty! You have t- aaah!!!" Raye, caught up in her passion, had moved. The snake was frightened by the sudden jolt and, sensing danger, had sunk its fangs deep into Raye's thigh. Raye grabbed her leg and collapsed to the ground as the snake fled to safety. The pain was excruciating. A burning sensation was making its way up her leg and spreading through her abdomen. Then, the burning began to fade. Raye's thrashing lessened as her leg became numb, and the feeling began making its way up her torso. The Amazoness Quartet made a circle around her and watched as Raye's eyes slipped out of focus. It was suddenly hard to breathe…

"That was a bad move, Sailor Mars," Cere Cere lectured.

"Two drops of venom from a Black Mamba is enough to kill a fully-grown human. Although, the way you scared the poor thing, I'll bet it pumped more than two drops into you." Palla Palla resumed her insane giggling, while Ves Ves walked over and picked up the snake, stroking it and cooing.

"Such a good boy… yes, you got that mean old Sailor Scout good, didn't you? You bit her nice and hard, just like we taught you. You deserve a treat! How does a couple of rats sound, hmm?" Cere Cere gently rubbed the snake's head before grinning evilly.

"You should be having trouble breathing by now. You see, Black Mamba venom is an incredibly effective neurotoxin. It's immediately absorbed into the bloodstream and travels directly to the movement section of your brain, where it starts to block certain muscle impulses. Respiratory impulses, to be exact. I'll give it about fifteen minutes before your lungs are completely paralyzed." Jun Jun sneered at Raye and pretended to choke.

"And then you're gonna suffocate! So, Sailor Mars, how does it feel to be dying?" Raye's chest was heaving wildly and her pulse was going a mile a minute, but her breathing was actually very weak. No matter how much she strained, she just couldn't get the precious oxygen that her body craved so badly. She was so weak that, even if she had wanted to, she wouldn't have been able to answer.


	7. FaceOff

Serena was pacing back and forth in agitation, which was something that she never did. Mina, Amy, and Lita were clumped together, not too far away, all staring at the ground in silence. They hadn't been able to get into the circus, which meant that Raye was alone, and had probably already been caught. The girls didn't even want to think about what the Dead Moon might be doing to her…

"That's it! I've had it with this bullshit!" Serena's outburst caught everyone off guard, and all the girls stared at her in shock. Had she just cursed?

Their leader looked furious as she continued, "I am tired of trying to find an inconspicuous way in! They know we're here, they probably already have Raye, and the longer we sit here and think about this, the more they'll hurt her!" Lita blinked.

"Serena, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Of course," the blonde snapped, "It's about time we got our act together." She took a breath to calm herself, then smiled at Lita.

"What I mean is… For once, Jupiter, we're gonna do it your way." A wicked grin spread across Lita's face.

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear that."

The Sailor Scouts were endowed with far more strength than any mere human, so a beating from Sailor Jupiter would probably kill a human. Of course, seeing the circus security guards were members of the Dead Moon, they didn't have to worry about dying.

"Hyaa!" Jupiter planted her foot solidly in the guard's stomach, driving every last bit of air from his lungs, and sending him flying into a ticket booth. Sailor Venus's fist connected with the chin of the other guard in a vicious uppercut, knocking him completely senseless.

Venus briefly celebrated her handiwork by shouting, "Hah! Take that!" As I said, dear reader, the guards didn't have to worry about losing their lives. But getting their asses kicked was an entirely different story.

"Let's move, girls! We don't have much time," Sailor Moon reminded them. All four girls started running, with Mercury in the lead, typing furiously on her computer as she went.

"I can't find Sailor Mars's senshi energy! She must not be transformed!" Sailor Moon felt fear gathering in the pit of her stomach, and she started pushing herself even more.

"That can't be good! We've gotta find her now!" Mercury suddenly skidded to a stop, and pointed to the largest tent in the circus.

"She's there! And she's not alone!" The girls changed direction and began sprinting towards the big top, but a gigantic tiger leaped out of nowhere and stood in their path, baring its fangs and growling deep in its throat. The girls all came to a halt, while the civilians around them panicked and rushed towards the nearest exit. It didn't take very long for the area to be completely empty, except for one enraged tiger and four tense senshi.

"Oh, you found them, Tiger-eye!" Ves Ves sauntered out from behind a nearby tent, holding a whip in one hand and a small glass ball in the other.

"My, my, my. Well, what brings you here?"

The Amazoness wore a smug grin as she asked, "You wouldn't happen to be looking for your friend, now, would you?" Sailor Moon stepped forward, glaring furiously at Ves Ves.

"I think you already know the answer to that one, but maybe you can answer a question of ours…"

Venus stepped forward and demanded, "What the hell did you do with Raye?!" Ves Ves laughed.

"Such terrible manners!"

She sighed and tapped a finger against her teeth, wondering aloud, "Hmmm… what did we do with her…"

After a moment, Ves Ves shrugged and replied, "I can't seem to remember. Sorry." Jupiter started cracker her knuckles.

"Yeah, right, like we believe you! Just give Raye back, before I get pissed off." Ves Ves raised an eyebrow.

"Well, aren't we testy today? It's not my fault if I can't remember what we did with an intruder! There are just so many of them, it's impossible to keep them all straight." Jupiter's face contorted in fury and she charged, raising her fist to pulverize the Amazoness's nose.

Ves Ves, unfazed, simply whistled. There was a shriek from up above, and a spray of blood as a blur of brown feathers whooshed by and slashed Jupiter's arm. The stunned senshi yelped and stumbled backward, clutching her arm as blood flowed freely from the gash. Mercury darted forward and snatched Jupiter's arm, biting her lip. It was a very deep wound indeed, going almost all the way down to the bone, and running the length of Jupiter's entire forearm. Mercury squeezed the wound shut with her hand, despite Jupiter's agonized protests, and looked at Sailor Moon.

"This isn't good, Sailor Moon." The water warrior's eyes showed how frightened she was. Already, they were missing one friend, while another had just been incapacitated. And the Dead Moon was no pushover. Sailor Moon, quickly cupped her hands over Jupiter's arm and healed the wound, then looked back to Ves Ves, who had Hawk-eye perched on her arm and that same smug smile on her face.

"Do you have any more tricks up your sleeve," Sailor Moon asked angrily, "or are you going to fight fair now?" Ves Ves smiled sweetly.

"I'd like to Sailor Moon, but, you see, I'm outnumbered right now, so this really isn't fair at all." She snapped her fingers. Instantly, Hawk-eye took to the air, Tiger-eye reared up on his hind paws, and Ves Ves threw the glass sphere in her hand on the ground, shattering it. There was a bright flash, and the Amazon Trio appeared behind their mistress.

"Amazon Trio! Show these White Moon fools what you can do!" Tiger-eye, Hawk-eye, and Fish-eye each started moving toward one of the scouts, while Ves Ves quickly unfurled her whip and lashed it around Sailor Moon's legs. Sailor Moon cried out, and Ves Ves gave the whip a violent tug, sending the little do-gooder hurtling to the dirt. The landing knocked the wind out of the senshi leader, leaving her stunned. Ves Ves took advantage of the opportunity and pulled a spear out of thin air, delicately resting the point dead center on Sailor Moon's chest.

The Amazoness wore a look of triumph on her face as she warned, "I wouldn't move if I were you." Sailor Moon gritted her teeth, then glanced at the other scouts out of the corner of her eye. Hawk-eye and Jupiter were exchanging blows, and, by the look of it, Jupiter was starting to tire. But the tables truly turned when Hawk-eye drove his knee into Jupiter's stomach. Tiger-eye lunged at Venus and grabbed her by the throat, then lifted her off the ground and slammed her against a tree. Fish-eye had grabbed hold of Mercury's wrist and used his other arm to push on her elbow, threatening to break it. Mercury was forced to the ground, an expression of absolute agony on her face. It certainly hadn't taken very long for the situation to go from bad to worse. Not very long at all.

Sailor Moon's eyes locked with those of the Amazoness again, before the latter smirked and whispered, "And just so you know… your friend is probably dead by now…"

Raye was floating. There was no light, no sound, only the darkness that was swallowing her up.

_It feels nice, _she thought.

_It's peaceful here… I don't want to leave… _

Raye continued to sink further into the depths of unconsciousness, while her mind begged, _Please, don't make me leave…_

The Sailor Scouts sat back to back, silent and afraid. They had been beaten. Badly. How had it come to this? Sailor Moon tried to flex her wrists and winced as the ropes around them bit deeper into her flesh. She cursed herself for her stupidity. She should have used the disguise pen to get past those security guards. Then the Dead Moon wouldn't have been able to surprise them so easily. The girls heard the tent flap open and close, and the Amazoness Quartet sauntered into view, with the Amazon Trio behind them. Palla Palla was, as usual, giggling madly.

"Ooo, goody! I have some more pets to play with!" Ves Ves glared at Palla Palla.

"In case you don't remember, I'm the one who captured them!"

Jun Jun poked her head in between the two and interjected, "Yeah, but the queen said to save them all for her!" Cere Cere feigned dismay.

"Oh no! Maybe we shouldn't have killed Sailor Mars then!" The Amazoness Quartet let silence fall over the room and eagerly watched their prisoners' reactions. The three Sailor Scouts looked horrified, but Sailor Moon simply stared at her hands, which were resting in her lap.

"I don't believe you." Cere Cere blinked in confusion and stared at the fallen leader. Sailor Moon didn't meet her gaze. Her head remained down, with her bangs hiding her eyes from view.

"Oh, honestly," Ves Ves rolled her eyes.

"Did you think we would let her live?" Sailor Moon still didn't react.

"Then how come we're not dead yet?" Jun Jun wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Trust me, if we had permission, we would have done it a long time ago." Palla Palla sighed.

"The queen said we had to wait and let her deal with all of you." The senshi leader might as well have been a statue.

"Talk all you like. I won't believe you no matter what. You could dump her body in front of me right now and I still wouldn't believe you." Cere Cere and Ves Ves exchanged a wicked glance and snickered.

"Well… don't say we didn't warn you." The gestured to the Amazon Trio, who emerged from behind their mistresses, carrying a lifeless body. They walked up to the Sailor Scouts' cage and dumped it unceremoniously, then dusted their hands off, as if they'd just finished taking out the garbage.

Sailor Moon didn't want to look. She fought with all her might to keep her head from moving. But the dead silence of the room tortured her, inducing a wave of nausea the likes of which she'd never experienced before. Slowly, her stomach filled with a lethal mixture of apprehension and dread, Sailor Moon looked up. It was then, for the first time in her life, that the senshi of purity and light, the savior of the world and the heir to the Silver Millenium felt her will to fight vanish completely. The Amazoness Quartet hadn't been lying. The body lying next to the metal bars of the cage did resemble her friend, but only slightly. Raye's skin was always pale, but it was never this ghastly white. Her purple eyes were barely open, but they were hazy and unfocused. Her limbs were sprawled limply around her, and her hair was knotted, with little bits of straw and steaks of dust contaminating it. Sailor Moon cried out incoherently and scrambled to the edge of the cage, an impressive feet for someone who had their wrists and ankles bound together. Sailor Moon pushed her tied wrists between the bars and snatched up Raye's hand. It was cold and clammy, completely devoid of warmth and pulse. But what truly broke Sailor Moon's spirit was the fact that Raye's chest wasn't moving. Not the slightest bit.

"Raye…" Sailor Moon's cerulean eyes were shimmering with tears, but she held them back.

"Come on Raye, wake up… don't let them win…" Jun Jun snorted.

"You idiot. She's been dead for over an hour."

The senshi leader squeezed her eyes shut and shouted, "I'm not listening to you!!!" This elicited nothing but giggles from the quartet.

"Oh puh-leeze," Cere Cere huffed, putting her hands on her hips.

"You are so hopeless. I almost want to do you a favor and put you out of your misery."

Cere Cere cut in and added, "The key word being _almost_." Sailor Moon hung her head and clutched Raye's hand as though it might bring her back to life.

"I'm sorry Raye. It was my fault. All my fault…" Bitter tears finally overflowed her eyes and began sliding down her cheeks as Sailor Moon laid her head on the ground and wept.

"Please forgive me… I'm so sorry…"

Someone's voice was breaking the silence, boring a hole through the darkness to reach a soul that was wandering in that empty void.

"I'm so sorry…"

_Yeah, I'm sorry too… but for what? I can't remember… I can't remember anything… It's all so fuzzy… _Listening to the crying voice actually triggered some kind of emotion. What was it called? Sorrow?

"Please, come back…"

_I want to come back… but I like it here too… I can't be hurt here… I remember being hurt… Time and time again…_

"We need you, Raye! I need you!"

_Raye__… that's my name, isn't it? Then who's crying? And why? Why would they cry for me?_

"We've lost, Raye. We've been beaten. If you don't come back to help us, we'll all be dead. Amy, Lita, Mina, and me. All of us… We're friends, Raye! You've got to help us!"

_Are we? Are you my friend? Yes, I think I remember you… Serena… Sailor Moon... Princess Serenity… Then that makes me…_

"We need you Raye! We're done for without Sailor Mars!"

_Sailor Mars… that's who I am! My duty is to protect the Princess… why am I here if I'm supposed to be guarding Serenity?! Oh… that snake… I died, didn't I? But… wait… I'm Mars… the goddess of war… goddesses don't die! Especially not at the hands of low-life rabble like the Amazoness Quartet! I am not dead! I am-_

"Alive…" Raye's eyes fluttered open and she vaguely recognized the sound of her own voice as she finished her sentence out loud. She sat up and winced as a sharp pain lanced through her leg. She looked down at her thigh and saw two tiny puncture wounds. And, as she watched in fascination, they closed up right before her eyes. Raye looked over at Sailor Moon, whose eyes were wide with awe.

"Hey, Sailor Moon…" She smiled at her tearful friend.

"I take it I'm in for a lecture when we get back to my house, huh?" Sailor Moon sobbed and grabbed Raye's hand again.

"Don't you ever, ever do that again, do you hear me?!" Raye nodded.

"Oh yeah. I hear you." She stood up and pulled out her henshin wand, quickly transforming into Sailor Mars. Once the transformation was complete, Sailor Mars opened her eyes and looked coldly at the Amazoness Quartet.

"What you do to me because of my mistakes is entirely debatable. I deserved what happened to me, because I was arrogant and I underestimated my opponent."

She paused for a moment, then drew an ofuda scroll and continued, "But if you ever, EVER lay your hands on my friends again, I will take the liberty of chopping them off to make sure it doesn't happen a third time. Got it?" Without waiting for an answer, Raye slapped the scroll on the bars of the cage, chanted a spell, and then shattered the metal with one swift kick.

"Oh no you don't!" Raye turned around and raised an eyebrow at Ves Ves.

"What, are you going to stop me?" Ves Ves hesitated, and in that space of time the other Sailor Scouts were already freed.

Palla Palla ground her teeth and pointed at Cere Cere, "This is all your fault! We should have just killed them!"

"What, and disobey my orders?" Palla Palla nearly jumped out of her skin as Queen Nephrenia emerged from the darkness behind her and put her claw-like fingers on the Amazoness's shoulders. Palla Palla gulped and turned pale, and her three sisters stood silently. They weren't about to put their own hides on the line just because Palla Palla had been shooting her mouth off. To everyone's surprise, Nephrenia released the frightened Amazoness and slinked past her.

"Welcome, Sailor Scouts. It has been too long…" Nephrenia's chuckle sounded like the wheezing of a wounded animal. Sailor Moon stepped forward, brandishing her weapon.

"I'm warning you, Nephrenia! Our power has grown since last time! A combined attack from Eternal Sailor Moon and all the other senshi isn't the worst we can do, I assure you." Nephrenia laughed again.

"And you think this frightens me? Hah! Silly little princess… You are not the only one whose powers have increased…"

The wicked sorceress flexed her claws and added, "Those of us who serve Chaos are well rewarded, you know."

Raye stepped up next to Sailor Moon and replied with an air of perfect calm and self-assurance, "Oh really? Funny how we seem to win every time we fight you, no matter how handsomely you've been rewarded." Nephrenia's eyes narrowed.

"You dare to mock me, little girl?" Raye's eyes narrowed and her voice took on a stronger, rougher tone.

"I am no little girl. I am a goddess, and, if you require proof, I will be more than happy to give it to you."


	8. Ascension

A/N: Gomen nasai, minna. I've been trying to get my feet on the ground for some time now, and I've just gotten back to writing, so you can expect me to start updating again. Thanks for being so unbelievably patient. I appreciate it. This chapter is unbelievably short. I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you, I swear. Also, since there will be a couple of Olympians missing once I assemble all the senshi, I'm going to have to add a couple of OCs. Don't kill me! I'm trying not to make them Mary Sues. I'm planning to write a separate fic to explain their back stories. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled… The Earth and Sun senshi might show up sooner than you think! 

Mars turned to Sailor Moon and pointed to the Silver Imperium Crystal glimmering in the compact on Sailor Moon's chest.

"It's time, your majesty." Sailor Moon nodded and removed the crystal, closing her eyes momentarily as the power of the crystal transformed her into Princess Serenity. She opened her eyes again and looked at Sailor Mars.

"I'm ready. What must I do?" Mars closed her eyes, much as her leader had done, as her own transformation began, and, when it ended, she opened them back up and drew her sword.

"The power of the crystal is required to awaken the Olympians that slumber inside the rest of the senshi. Have Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus touch it, and they will reach their true form, as will you." Serenity nodded.

"I will-"

"No you will not!" Nephrenia was glaring at the princess and the other senshi with a viciousness that would put wild animals to shame.

"I'll not stand by and let you gather power! I will not be beaten again!" The evil queen raised her hands into the air to call upon her powers, and shadows began to cover the entire tent. Mars smirked and charged Nephrenia, taking a quick swipe at the woman's hands. Nephrenia pulled her hands back, and, in that moment, her concentration was broken, and the shadows began to fade.

"What's the matter, Nephrenia?" Mars taunted. "Scared of a little girl's toy?"

Nephrenia snarled in response.

"I do not fear you, you powerless wretch!" The socreress's clawed hand struck out, and the war goddess easily sidestepped.

"Your reaction would indicate otherwise," Mars replied, a bit of a sing-song tone to her voice.

"You dare to mock me!" Mars stopped moving momentarily and stroked her chin.

"Wow, Nephrenia. I think you can shriek higher than Sailor Moon. That is impressive." Mars' overconfidence backfired as Nephrenia caught her by the throat and hauled her off the ground.

"You'll pay for those insults…" She pulled back her free hand and smirked as her nails elongated into six-inch knives.

"You can't keep coming back to life if I suck out your soul, now can you?" The witch was about to run Mars through when there was an explosive shockwave from behind them, and a brilliant, white light filled the tent. Nephrenia hissed, cat-like, and shrunk back, covering her eyes, while Mars dropped to the ground and rubbed her throat, smirking.

"I think you missed your chance."

As the light began to fade, a figure stepped forward.

"Thank you, Mars. Because of your efforts, we have awakened." Silver eyes slowly opened and fixed on Nephrenia.

"Now, we shall deal with this threat." Mars bowed respectfully before turning back to the now-quivering Nephrenia.

"Allow me to introduce the rest of the Olympians." She made a sweeping gesture with her arm to the figure who had just spoken.

"Goddess of the Moon, Selene." Princess Serenity's hair had faded from blonde to a sleek silver, and, while it remained in her trademark pigtails, it was longer, and there were strings of moonstones running through them. Her eyes were no longer blue, but a luminous silver, her lips were tinged silver as well, and her skin was impossibly pale. She was wearing a simple, off-the-shoulder dress made of gauzy white silk that flowed along the curves of her body to pool at her feet. She took another step forward, and the dress seemed to flow as she moved. Selene delicately held out her hand, and Eternal Sailor Moon's staff materialized. The next figure stepped forward, and Mars, once again, did the introductions.

"The Goddess of Trickery and Intelligence, Mercury." Mercury stepped up, smiling brightly.

"Thank you, Mars." Mercury's hair had remained the same, but her eyes had more of a mischievous glint than serious little Amy's did. Her dress was a simple one; it was light blue and sleeveless, falling off her shoulders loosely, and ending at her knee. There was a slit up one side, to allow freedom of movement, and on her feet were winged sandals. Mercury made a quick bow and lifted into the air, flitting over to Nephrenia.

"Oh my! What's this?" Mercury pulled a metal wand out of the evil queen's hair before darting away, giggling.

"This is the magic wand I stole from Apollo, remember Jupiter?" Jupiter stepped forward, a slight smile on her face.

"Yes, Mercury, I do remember." Mars opened her mouth to speak, but Jupiter held up a hand.

"I will introduce myself." She turned to Nephrenia. She was wearing a simple, but elegant dress made of a light green, silky material. It hung loosely off one shoulder and fell almost to her ankles, secured at the waist by a gold sash. Her hair was pulled into a relatively tight knot that left a few curls loose to cascade down her back. On her head was a circlet of laurel leaves, and slung over her shoulder was a quiver of lightning bolts.

"I am Jupiter, the ruler and protector of the Olympians… and not one to be trifled with."

Nephrenia, shook with rage.

"I am not afraid of you!" The final goddess stepped forward, smiling self-assuredly.

"Don't worry, we'll teach you the proper respect." Venus tossed her hair over her shoulder, chuckling slightly. The movement sent ripples down the length of her beautiful dress. It was an elegant, yet seductive creation of pale gold silk that hung off her shoulders, clinging to the curve of her bosom, then flowing gracefully along her legs. A slit on one side reached her thigh, and there were ropes of pearls wrapped around her arms and waist, so long that the ends trailed the ground as she walked. Even more pearls were woven into her hair, part of which had been pulled into a knot at the back of her head, while the rest hung loose down her back. Her only real piece of jewelry was a gold necklace. Instead of a simple chain, the gold had been crafted in the shape of a flowering vine, with clusters of pearls to accent the blossoms. Nephrenia, glancing nervously at each goddess in turn, continued to back away.

"I-is this supposed to impress me!" Mars smirked.

"I don't think you're impressed, Nephrenia. As a matter of fact, if I had to guess, I'd say you're scared stiff right now…" The war-goddess hefted her sword and shifted into her fighting stance.

"Don't worry. We'll put you out of your misery."

Nephrenia's eyes widened and she screeched, "You insolent little brat! I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!" The witch lunged at Selene, claws outstretched.

"Dieeeeee!" Selene, undaunted, raised her staff, and the goddesses behind her raised their hands.

"We will not," Selene replied, lowering the tip of the staff to point at Nephrenia and watching placidly as a flash of light emanated from it, engulfing the charging witch. Nephrenia screeched in agony as she was burned away, then the scream ended as a pile of dust slipped to the ground. The Amazoness Quartet blinked in bewilderment as their clothes melted away to reveal sailor fukus, and the circus tent around them caught fire.

Mars, keeping her sword up in case the four hadn't recovered their memories yet, took a cautious step forward and asked, "Are you all right?"

Sailor Juno rubbed her head and replied, "Well, apart from the major headache, I'm just peachy."

Sailor Pallas looked around for a moment before commenting, "I don't think we're in Kansas any more." Sailor Vesta looked at Mars.

"We were sleeping in the Amazon, weren't we? How did we get here?" Mars lowered her sword and started to reply, when Sailor Ceres interrupted her.

"Now's not the time for idle talk. This place is burning. We need to get out of here."

"What about the animals?" Sailor Vesta protested.

"We can't just let them die!"

Mercury took to the air and announced, "No need to worry. Consider this fire out."

She raised her magic wand and shouted "Mercury Frostbite!" As everyone watched in fascination, the animals' cages, the ground, and even the burning tent itself began to frost over. The fires sputtered and died, leaving relatively little damage in their wake.

Mercury bowed and shot a glance at Mars before commenting, "Looks like fire's not hard to control after all." Mars smirked and sheathed her sword.

"I would attack you for that, Mercury, if you were worth the energy." The girls laughed as their goddess forms melted away.

"I guess we'll be leaving, then." Sailor Ceres stepped forward and extended her hand.

"Thank you ladies. You've helped us again." Sailor Moon shook her hand, while the other girls smiled.

"Going back to sleep?" Sailor Mars asked. Sailor Ceres nodded.

"Until the time is right, then," Sailor Moon declared.

Sailor Pallas flashed a quick smile and added, "Or until we get possessed again. Whichever happens first." The inner senshi stood together and watched as they disappeared, four spherical gems hurtling across the sky.


	9. Reunion

"Hey everyone!" Lita scooted through the door to Serena's room, with several bento boxes and a baking pan clutched under one arm.

"I brought food!" Serena and Mina looked up from their video game, their blue eyes wider and shinier than usual.

"What'd you make Lita?" Serena edged closer, wiping saliva from the corner of her mouth. Lita sweatdropped and held the boxes out of Serena's reach.

"Just a few little things… cucumber rolls, rice balls… Oh! And a pen pal sent me a recipe for fudge brownies! I think they turned out pretty well!" Amy pulled her glasses off and closed her book, smiling.

"I think you two ought to quiet your stomachs for a bit, so we can get to work." The two eating machines sighed and plopped down on Serena's bed.

"Where's Raye?" Lita jerked her head in the direction of the sidewalk outside as she delicately deposited her burden on the desk.

"I saw her getting off the bus. I'm sure she's on her way up." On cue, Raye stepped through the door. She smiled, looking a bit tired, but enthusiastic.

"Good morning, everybody." Serena tilted her head, looking concerned.

"Have you been sleeping well, Raye?" Raye shrugged.

"I've been waking up a lot during the night. I think I'm just stressed. I'll manage."

She set down her bag and settled on the floor, smoothing her uniform skirt before asking, "So, what'd you want to talk about, Amy?" Amy stood up and started pacing, a practice that was very new for her.

"Well, it would seem that, even in our new, more powerful forms, we've retained our planet powers and our elemental alignments." She gesticulated excitedly as she continued speaking.

"And it seems we still have weapons as well! I was going to propose we do some more research to ascertain what each of us will use and what its capabilities will be. I'd also like to see if we can call upon this new form whenever we wish, or whether it will manifest in response to our situation. And training couldn't hurt!"

She paused to take a breath and stopped pacing before adding, "And I got an email from Haruka." The girls' eyes widened in disbelief, while Serena leaned forward.

"Are you sure it was her, Amy!" Amy nodded.

"I'm positive. I checked the source, and the address is one of Michiru's old ones." Raye narrowed her eyes.

"What did it say?" Amy wrung her hands worriedly.

"They're coming back. All of them. Even Hotaru." Lita frowned.

"Are they sure that's safe? What with Hotaru being Sailor Saturn and all that? Isn't she only supposed to appear when the world ends?" Amy bit her lip.

"That's what I'm worried about. Hotaru has grown, certainly, but that kind of power isn't easily contained." Serena leaned back and stared at the ceiling, her brow furrowed.

"Maybe they're going to try to release it instead of containing it. If Hotaru reaches her goddess form, it might act like venting pressure or something." Amy blinked for a moment, then smiled.

"Why, I'm so proud of you, Serena! You didn't sleep through your science class for once!" Serena sat back up, blushing sheepishly.

"Yeah, because my stomach was growling." Lita sweatdropped.

"I knew something like that was too good to be true." Serena folded her arms indignantly.

"Hey, I save the world on a regular basis. I deserve a little slack." Mina shook her head, grinning.

"You guys crack me up." Lita stood up and grabbed the bento boxes.

"I don't know about you ladies, but talking about food made me want food. Let's eat!" The girls nodded their agreement. Mina grabbed the TV remote and started flipping through the channels, occasionally stuffing a little food into her mouth, until she suddenly cried out and almost choked.

"Ohmigod!"

Everybody looked in her direction as she swallowed the food in her mouth and screeched, "They're coming here!"

Raye, annoyed with Mina's lack of manners, taunted, "I hope you're referring to someone other than Haruka and Michiru, or you've got some severe brain damage." Mina shook her head.

"It's Sun Worshipper!" When rewarded with a room full of blank looks, Mina dug up her celebrity diary and pointed to a picture of a couple of pop stars.

"These girls! They're coming to Japan! They're going to school next year, so this is going to be their one and only tour!" Raye snorted.

"You almost choked to death because of a pair of pop stars? Wow, Mina, that brain damage must be more severe than I thought!" Mina shook her head fervently.

"No, they're really cool!" Lita chuckled and reached over to pat Mina on the head.

"It's alright Mina. I'll go see the concert with you." Mina sniffed and pretended to wipe tears away.

"At least you're not a traitor!"

Raye strolled to school the next day, deep in thought. There were the usual cat-calls when she passed a boys' school, but she ignored them.

She was so engrossed in her musings that she didn't even detect the sound of a purring engine behind her until a deep voice called out, "Hey! You want want a ride?" Exasperated, Raye turned around and snapped, "Why the hell would I take a ride from some asinine…" And then she saw the driver. Short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, with a devilish grin followed by a long, slender neck, and a wispy silhouette. Raye's eyes widened and she ran toward the sleek car.

"Haruka!" Haruka smirked and jerked her thumb at the passenger seat.

"Get in."

"So what's been goin' on?" Raye brushed a stray hair out of her eyes and sighed.

"I think it'd be less complicated if you asked what hasn't been going on." Haruka half-smiled.

"At least you haven't been bored while we were away." Raye chuckled.

"You're right… How is everybody?" Haruka shrugged.

"Michiru does well, as long as I'm around. When I have to travel, her spirits fall a bit. Setsuna is stoic as always. Hotaru misses her friends, though." Raye nodded, thoughtfully.

"I know how that is." Haruka's eyes, although focused ahead, softened.

"I heard a little bit of what happened… Are you coping?" Raye stared out the window for a moment.

"I don't sleep very well any more. I always have some sort of vision, or just plain old bad dreams. Being around couples is depressing beyond all reason, And… Everywhere I look, there's something that reminds me of him…" She felt her throat tighten.

"I wonder if I'll ever get him back…" Haruka's knuckles tightened on the steering wheel.

"You will. The kind of love you two feel can overpower anything. It's like the love between Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion. It can conquer anything. Even death. It's true love." Raye smiled a bit.

"Thank you Haruka…" She rolled the window down and allowed her hand to hang out, feeling the air toss her hair around.

"I feel better now." She felt pure and whole as she raced with the wind.


	10. Arrival

The Sailor Scouts, even though they were aware of their destiny to defend the earth, kept trying to have fun. So when the Outer senshi reunited with their friends, it was only natural for them to try to attend a movie. Hotaru, feeling shaky, declined the offer with a smile, and the other girls promised to return with snacks. Even one member short, there was plenty of eye rolling when screams about monsters echoed from an alley close to the theater. The senshi, as usual, transformed and prepared to fight- even if the match promised to be short.

"Silver Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" The yoma shrieked and crumbled to dust, like many had before it. Eternal Sailor Moon whooped for joy and high-fived her team, while a pair of women watched from a darkened rooftop.

"I think we've found them, your highness." The shorter girl nodded.

"And I think that you're right."

Both paused. "I can't talk to them just yet… I'm sorry." The second figure remained stoic.

"You'll have another chance tomorrow, Princess." The princess returned the nod, although it was less than enthusiastic.

"Yeah… Tomorrow…" They both turned and started to walk away, but the taller woman suddenly groaned and doubled over, then fell to her knees. The princess knelt by her side, obviously panicked.

"Not again!" The princess grabbed her partner by the shoulders and squeezed.

"Focus! Fix your eyes on me! Don't give up yet, we're too close!" She didn't realize how loudly she was yelling until she heard someone land on the roof behind her.

"Too close to what?"

"Damn," the princess muttered under her breath. "They've found us…"

"Damn right we found you!" Sailor Uranus folded her arms, her impossibly tall frame towering over the pair on their knees.

"I'm afraid that we cannot let you leave here," Sailor Pluto warned, landing beside Uranus. "Not until we know who you are and what you intend to do on this planet." Neptune brushed her hair out of her eyes and smiled slightly.

"We care too much for our princess to allow any harm to come to her." The smaller of the two women slowly rose to her feet, clutching a scepter that was very similar to the one Super Sailor Moon used.

"And if we don't tell you?"

"We'll kill you," Jupiter replied, as she and the rest of the inner senshi finished the circle around the two strangers. The younger girl said nothing, but the older woman was still on her knees. She'd begun clawing at the rooftop, obviously in agony. Her breath was coming in shallow gasps, and her entire body would shudder violently every few seconds. Sailor Moon stepped forward, clutching her staff.

"Is she ill?" The smaller girl decided that her partner needed attention more than the intruders, and slowly sank back to her knees.

"Yes, very." She grabbed the other woman's hand and squeezed it, receiving a tortured whimper in return.

"Can't we help?" Sailor Moon was biting her lip; she was too caring to ignore someone in pain, even if they seemed to be a threat. The girl laughed bitterly.

"You can't help her, Sailor Moon. I can't either. Only Death can help her… but he cannot reach her."

"I beg to differ," Uranus snarled, tearing her saber out of its scabbard.

"I'll help her right now!" She lunged forward, obviously having every intention of ending the threat to her moon princess. Ironically enough, that was the exact moment the woman's bizarre attack ended. There was a blinding flash, and both strangers' faces were illuminated for just a moment. The smaller girl had long, white-blonde hair, with a single streak of vibrant red running down one side. Her red eyes were very large, exuding a feeling of innocence. The other woman had black hair, also very long, but her eyes were strange. They were mostly a rich shade of gold, but there were patches of emerald green shining through. They both wore sailor fukus. Then the light was gone, and Uranus gasped in surprise as she found that her Space Sword had been parried by a spear.

"Princess, are you hurt?" The older woman's voice was still shaking, but it was very clear that she had regained control as she shoved Uranus back. The younger girl shook her head.

"I'm fine." The older woman grabbed her companion by the arm.

"Good. We're leaving." There was an earth-shaking explosion as a sphere of fire and light engulfed the two women, then burst outwards, throwing all the sailor scouts off the building.

"What the hell was that!" Sailor Mars was one of the first scouts to sprint after the two strangers, but the others soon joined her.

"I don't know," Sailor Uranus growled, "but I'm really going to get them for it."

The two women sprinted down an alleyway between apartment buildings, with the Sailor Scouts right behind them.

"We're gaining on them!" Venus's triumphant shout was more than enough to catch the attention of their prey. The shorter girl whirled around and pointed her staff at them, and another blinding flash emanated from the tip.

"Aahhh!" Jupiter stumbled and ran into the brick beside her, while all the other girls fell to their knees or doubled over.

"I can't see!" Mercury, blinking away tears, activated her headset and minicomputer.

"That light was incredibly powerful. Easily as bright as the sun!" She began running again, with the other scouts at her heels, still typing furiously.

"Actually," she murmured, "It's exactly as bright as the sun…" Her eyes widened.

"It duplicated the wavelength of our sun exactly! There was even a surge in the middle that looks like-" The excited genius was cut short as someone grabbed her collar and yanked her back from the path of a truck. Sailor Pluto waited until the truck had passed, then dashed through the traffic.

"What did it look like, Mercury?" Mercury rubbed her throat and coughed, but gave Pluto a thankful look before answering.

"A solar flare…"

The sailor scouts were still pursuing the other two women, chasing them through one of the many parks in the city. The fugitives were making excellent time, leaping from branch to branch in the cherry trees above, while the senshi tried to follow them down the winding path.

"Screw this," Mars decided. She leaped up and caught one of the tree branches, and braced her feet on it in order to jump to the next, but she suddenly found herself lying winded on her back underneath the tree. As she watched in confusion, one of the tree branches moved back to its proper place.

Pluto and Mercury caught up to her, Pluto grabbing her hand and yanking her to her feet so that she began running again.

"What happened? Did they hurt you?" Raye shook her head.

"No… but the tree did." As the other two looked at Mars in confusion, Jupiter, far ahead, apparently got the same idea she'd had.

"No! Get down, Jupiter!" All the senshi heard her shout, and they watched in shock as one of the tree branches whipped around and stuck Jupiter in the back, throwing her to the ground. Sailor Moon stopped to grab Jupiter's hand and help her up while the brunette rubbed her neck.

"What happened?"

Sailor Moon pulled her friend up and began running again. There were a few moments of silence before she finally answered, "I'm not really sure, Jupiter…"

Venus and Neptune, far ahead, exchanged a wordless glance and nodded. They'd worked together long enough that they didn't need to communicate. Moving as one, they poured on the steam and finally managed to get ahead of the strangers, stopping just beyond the edge of the trees. Behind them was a slight drop onto a busy thoroughfare. The outsiders were trapped. The shorter woman cried out and pointed, obviously having seen the impending ambush. Her partner grabbed her hand and pulled her forward anyway. They hit the ground and continued running straight at their opponents. Venus and Neptune smirked and charged, then suddenly stumbled and flopped onto the ground. The younger blonde groaned as her enemies ran past, then gasped as she noticed that there was grass lengthening and wrapping around her legs as though it were alive. Neptune grabbed it and tried to pull it apart, only to cry out as more wrapped around her wrists and pulled her back to the ground. Jupiter and Mercury stopped to help free their comrades, while Sailor Moon and Sailor Pluto kept running just behind Uranus and Mars. The fleeing pair stopped at the edge of the thoroughfare and turned to find that they were still being pursued. The taller woman thrust the head of her spear into the ground, smirking. Mars and Uranus skidded to a stop and whirled around as they heard their two remaining friends cry out. Sailor Moon and Sailor Pluto were clinging to each other for dear life, sinking above their waist in what looked like quicksand, where manicured grass had been a moment before. Then, just as quickly as it had changed, it was back to being grass, and both women were stuck fast. Mars and Uranus exchanged a glance. Their princess was safe, but their prey was escaping. The chase resumed, as the fugitives lunged into the traffic. An oncoming car honked and slammed on its brakes, on a clear collision course with the two of them. With what seemed like very little effort, they leapt onto the top of the vehicle, then sprang to the next in a mad game of leapfrog that led them up the street. The two sailor scouts followed as quickly as they could, and actually began gaining ground. The pair stopped at the edge of a bridge, looked over their shoulders, and then jumped, landing neatly on the roof of a speeding train. Mars and Uranus followed them without hesitation, then began running along the cars to catch up. Just when they were getting close, the strangers vaulted onto a bridge that spanned the train tracks. The pursuing senshi made a spectacular jump and landed just in front of their prey.

"End of the line," Sailor Uranus crowed triumphantly.

"Actually," smiled the woman with black hair, "It's the end of the train." She grabbed her partner and back-flipped over the railing behind her, catching one of the rungs of the ladder at the back of the car. Mars cried out and ran to the side of the bridge, watching in exasperation as the older woman helped the other girl get a firm grip on the ladder, then waved and blew a kiss with her free hand. Both senshi watched silently as their quarry sped out of sight.

"That went well," Raye remarked.

Raye trudged up the hill to Hikawa Temple, totally exhausted. By the time they'd freed Venus, Neptune, Pluto, and Sailor Moon, people had seen them, and there were photos all over the news. The tabloids would probably have a field day. She changed into her hakama and meditated in an attempt to calm down, but her mind was a whirlwind. Finally, she collapsed on her bed. If she just slept, she'd feel better…

Raye blinked and raised a hand to cover her eyes. The sun beat down, impossibly bright, warming the pristine sand that she stretched out on. The smell of the ocean filled her nostrils, and a breeze picked up a few strands of her hair. Bewildered, she sat up. Palm trees marked the beginning of a jungle behind her, while the vast waters that stretched before her swirled with shades of green and blue.

"You're here too. I'm glad. This dream is kind of freaky when you're alone." Raye gasped and scrambled to her feet. One of the girls from the rooftop, the one with the red eyes and white hair, sat beside her, hugging her knees to her chest. She was dressed a tad bit strangely, especially seeing as Raye was still in her hakama. The girl was wearing a white tank top, with a silver arm cuff around one arm, and several bangles jingling at her wrist. Her other arm had a strip of black lace that wound around her wrist and up to the elbow, and there was more lace tied around her throat. Her skirt reached mid-thigh, and her boots ended just above the ankle, with a pair of zippers winding up the side. Checkered white and black leg warmers stopped just below her knee, and several necklaces looped around her neck in various shades of silver. She wore very heavy makeup, with smoky black eyeliner and pinkish red lip gloss. Most of her hair fell loose, but there were several small braids that were loosely pulled around the right side of her head and fastened behind her ear.

"Sorry for the tension earlier. Legendary warriors are kind of hard to approach." She smiled and tilted her head to the side, suddenly looking years younger.

"My name's Taiki, by the way." Raye took a few steps backwards, eyeing the younger girl cautiously.

"Legendary warriors?" Taiki turned to stare back at the ocean, smiling placidly to herself.

"Yeah. You sailor scouts. You're amazing. I wish I were more like you." Raye narrowed her eyes.

"Perhaps I'm confused. I thought you and your partner were wearing sailor fukus, just like ours." Taiki shrugged.

"Just because we're senshi doesn't mean we're like you."

Her face lost all trace of youth as she added, "She and I have both failed where you've succeeded…" Raye was about to ask another question when her breath caught in her throat. She whipped around to stare at the ocean, unable to look away. It was still as glassy as ever, but something was so terribly wrong.

"You can feel it, then? You really are a powerful psychic…" Taiki stood up, her hair swaying gently in the rising wind.

"We need your help, Sailor Mars. And, you may not realize it, but you're going to need ours. Come to Tokyo Tower. You'll understand." Raye blinked sand out of her eyes as the sudden storm pummeled her.

"Tokyo Tower? What for? I don't understand!" She tried to take a step toward Taiki, battling the gale to move forward a mere inch. Taiki, her face suddenly devoid of any emotion, raised one hand to point at the ocean.

"It's coming," she stated, her voice as flat as the horizon had once been. Now, as Raye turned to stare, her entire field of vision was filled with an utterly monstrous wave. The crushing surge was crowned with pale foam, rising higher and higher until it blocked out the sun. Taiki turned back to Raye and held out her hand.

"Now you are the one who has the power to save everything. Will you use it?" Raye tried to reach out and grab her hand, but her body refused to move. She opened her mouth, gasping for breath under the enormous pressure that was suddenly assaulting her, and found that her lungs still worked. But whatever she had started to say was swallowed by the water.

"Augh!" Raye was suddenly bolt upright in bed, shaking and positively soaked in sweat. She took a deep breath and shuddered, pressing her hands against the sides of her head, trying to block out the sound of rushing water. But this was a sound not heard by the ear.

"Taiki!" Taiki jerked awake, then blushed sheepishly as her manager tapped her foot.

"Sorry," she murmured, gripping the arms of her makeup chair.

"I guess I fell asleep." Her manager folded her arms.

"So it would seem. You've had an unfortunate habit of doing so." Taiki lowered her head, then jumped a bit as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"It is late," A gentle voice offered.

"We had that break earlier, and since then we've done nothing but rehearse. I don't think it's going to get any better until tomorrow, so we should just call it quits for tonight." Taiki turned around and stared at Aiyuu's eyes for a moment before lowering her head. She knew. Their manager glanced at her watch and nodded.

"I guess you're right. Thanks for working so hard tonight, girls. Why don't you sleep in an hour or two tomorrow? You have made a lot of progress on that choreography, so you deserve it." She smiled and patted Taiki on the head as she and Aiyuu headed back to their trailer.

"Sorry, Taiki. I guess I get kind of crabby this early in the morning." Aiyuu turned back around and smiled, her black hair swirling around her waist as she did so.

"Don't we all?"

Taiki winced as the door to the trailer shut. Aiyuu locked it, then slowly turned back to her partner and folded her arms.

"I thought we agreed we'd do this together." Taiki bit her lip.

"I know. It was an accident, though!" Aiyuu narrowed her eyes.

"How can you 'accidentally' establish a psychic link with someone!" Taiki clenched her fists and set her jaw, looking every bit the stubborn child.

"Sharing a dream is accidental! Sailor Mars has ESP, and it just so happens to be powerful enough to pick up on my visions, now that we're so close together! That isn't something I can prevent!" Aiyuu stared at the floor for a few seconds, then looked back up.

"What did you tell her?" Taiki, satisfied, turned to a mirror and began to untie the lace around her neck and wrist.

"Not much. That we need their help. That they're going to need ours. That we're also sailor scouts. I told her my name, too. And I asked her to come to the concert." Aiyuu sighed and stepped behind a screen to change.

"Oh, great. So now they're gonna crash our concert." Taiki shook her head.

"They won't crash it! They probably won't even recognize us." Aiyuu rolled her eyes and tossed her clothes over the screen, feeling a grim satisfaction as Taiki shrieked.

"Are you kidding me! After they chased us and we had to use several attacks to get them off our tail! I wouldn't be surprised if they showed up while we're sleeping." Taiki pouted.

"We could have just talked to them." Aiyuu snorted.

"Yeah, right. Sailor Uranus was definitely ready for a diplomatic ceasefire." There were a few moments of silence before Taiki's wavering voice broke the stillness.

"Aiyuu?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you still dream about her?" She paused.

"Your sister, I mean." Aiyuu's throat contracted viciously and her eyes suddenly burned.

"Yes," she whispered. She swallowed painfully and wiped at her eyes, refusing to let tears form.

"You?" she asked. Taiki gently opened a compact and traced her finger over the facets of the yellow-gold crystal within.

"Always," she sighed. The face of a handsome man filled her mind's eye. Short blonde hair, luminous blue eyes, a sharp chin and confident smile. She sighed and clutched the compact to her chest, feeling the faint, pulsing warmth that came from the gem inside, as tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I miss you, Jadeite…"


End file.
